Historic home on Tantalus

It would have been enough for me to see how beautiful this rustic, kamaaina-style home on Round Top Drive is. The open, classic design is reminiscent of a bygone era without looking old, and has an amazing view to boot.

But this home is much more; at 105 years old, it’s on the historic registry and was the childhood home of Honolulu heiress Kinau Wilder, an actress who appeared in “Magnum, P.I.” and the original “Hawaii Five-0” series.  The entire family is remarkable, as you can see in the book The Wilders of Waikiki.

The two-story home is called “Melemanuala,” or “with the soaring birds,” because it’s located so high up the mountain. The main house and two cottages comprise 4,075 square feet of living area, and the lot is 2.5 acres (which is like living on more than two football fields).

There are five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a five-car carport. Like many older kamaaina homes, this has a brick fireplace—which sounds ridiculous in Hawaii, but I’m told that some homeowners use theirs on chilly winter nights. It’s a nice touch.

The living room has a built-in day bed and adjoins to a corner office. The dining room, which has a pass-through window to the large country-style kitchen, has built-in cupboards.

The natural light and the wood throughout the home gives it a warm ambience, and the panoramic views from every room are a big plus. Click here to see more about the home.

Money talk: $2.5 million, fee simple
Contact: Jerol Hanson, Century 21 All Islands, 808-953-2100, jerol.hanson@c21allislands.com