Visitors to Waikiki in 1929 could probably be counted in the hundreds. There were only two hotels along the beach in those days – the 28-year-old Moana and the recently opened Royal Hawaiian Hotel. But that was the extent of rooms available for the affluent Hawaii tourists who traveled to the island on Matson’s cruise ships. There were a few residences in Waikiki — including some grand mansions that belonged to the likes of the Castles and the Cookes — but those 200-plus hotel rooms were reportedly most of the commercial activity in the whole area.

Thus it was a pretty bold move for two San Francisco merchants — the brothers Solomon and Gustav Gump — to build and open a substantial retail store at the corner of Lewers and Kalakaua in February 1929. Not just any retail emporium, but one patterned after the original in San Francisco that sold Asian and European antiques, jewelry and objets d’art. However, the market for these goods was enormously bigger in San Francisco than in Waikiki, where there were a handful of visitors and probably an equal number of Honolulu elites.

A lot of people would agree that one of the wisest decisions Solomon and Gustav made was to choose Hart Wood as their architect. Actually, it was Alice Spalding Bowen who strongly suggested that Wood be commissioned as the designer. Two sources say that the Gump Building was the third structure in all of Waikiki.

According to the book “Hart Wood: Architectual Regionalism in Hawaii,” by Glenn Mason, Don Hibbard and Karen Weitze, “The building reinforced the refined, high-culture image of its occupant and clientele and at the same time maintained the noncommercial air that Mrs. Bowen had nurtured in her own home/studio.”

The Mason/Hibbard/Weitze book makes a point of the architect’s “fascination with integrating Eastern elements into the architectural idiom of Hawaii (that) dominates Wood’s work for the next five years.” It can be seen in the Gump Building as well as Wood’s work on the Chinese Christian Church on King Street, the Alexander & Baldwin Building (with C.W. Dickey) downtown, and several residences.

The surroundings are quite different, but the structure of the Gump Building is basically unchanged. An early description of the building said it was “a blend of Mediterranean and Chinese forms, set back from the street (Kalakaua) by a landscaped lawn.” There was also an enclosed courtyard on the Diamond Head side of the building; that space and the lawn in front are long gone.

BOWEN WAS was the major force behind Gumps coming to Hawaii. She represented Gumps in the islands starting in 1923 from her studio on Ualakaa Street. A very active and accomplished person, she found and landscaped the 1 acre on Diamond Head where she built her home, a scene of many gracious gatherings. She described it as a place of “serenity, repose and peace.” In addition, she made it a verdant oasis on the often dry and parched slopes of Honolulu’s famous landmark.

Bowen was a perfect fit with the Gumps clientele. She was listed in the 1927 Polk Directory as a consulting decorator and architect of Little Gardens (no description provided). She designed the three gardens that at one time surrounded the Gump Building on Kalakaua. She was also the first female member of the Visitors Bureau, chairwoman of the Historical Sites Committee of the Conservation Council for Hawaii, president of the Outdoor Circle, member of the Executive Board of Aloha Week, a trustee of the Honolulu Academy of Arts (now the Honolulu Museum of Art), and prominent in the work of the early Waikiki Improvement Association.

The Mason/Hibbard/Weitze book says “the S&G Gump Building carried out the Oriental theme (a blend of Mediterranean and Chinese forms) and at the same time was harmonious with the type of architecture most desirable to Hawaii.”

It goes on to say, “Wood now began to place his work within a new rhetorical context, as an expression of ‘friendly charm, hospitality, spaciousness and comfort, which is expected in Hawaiian buildings, whether Spanish, Italian, English or Oriental.’ ”

The Gump enterprise closed in 1951 after a 22-year run. The building went through a series of owners — including a McDonald’s — until it was purchased by the luxury retailer Louis Vuitton for $21 million. Today there is a small bronze plaque near the front door that says, “Gumps was one of the first retail stores in Waikiki. In 1991, Louis Vuitton acquired the building preserving the historical structure and retaining design elements which made it unique. Today the Gump Building stands as a beacon. It represents the heritage of a bygone era of Hawaii and the creativity and modernity of Louis Vuitton, creator of luxury goods.”

Yes, in overbuilt Waikiki we should be thankful the historic, modest two-story building at Lewers and Kalakaua is still there. The only design elements that seem to be retained are the sloping blue-tiled roof, the copper gutters and decorative downspouts and possibly the upstairs windows.

Consider this fact: The original Gump Building was built for $75,000 in 1929. Today you can go into the Louis Vuitton store in the same space and pick up a couple of crocodile skin purses for about $70,000.

Keep Hawaii Hawaii is a monthly column on island architecture and urban planning. Robert M. Fox, president of Fox Hawaii Inc., studied architecture in California and Japan. He was one of the founders of the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation in 1974. David Cheever, owner of David Cheever Marketing, has served on the boards of the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation and the Hawaii Architectural Foundation. Send comments to keephawaiihawaii@staradvertiser.com.