Afong Villa

Afong Villa. Waikīkī Historic Trail. On this site stood the villa of Chun Afong, Hawai‘i’s first Chinese millionaire, who arrived in Honolulu in 1849. By 1855, he had made his fortune in retailing, real estate, sugar and rice, and for a long time held the government monopoly opium license. Chun Afong was a member of King Kalakaua’s privy council, and married Julia Fayerweather, a descendent of Hawaiian royalty, with whom he had 16 children, 13 of whom were daughters. He was the inspiration for Jack London’s famous story, “Chun Ah Chun.” His Waikiki villa occupied three acres of landscaped grounds. Here he gave grand parties for royalty, diplomats, military officers and other dignitaries. , In 1904 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers purchased the property for $28,000 to make way for the construction of Battery Randolph and the no-longer-extant Battery Dudley to defend Honolulu Harbor from foreign attack. The battery consisted of two 14-inch guns, capable of firing a 1,560 pound projectile over a range of 14 miles. It was constructed with reinforced concrete walls and a roof up to 12 feet thick. In 1969, the Army attempted to demolish Battery Randolph, but it resisted all efforts of the wrecking ball. The use of dynamite was rejected as too dangerous. One of the last important military fortifications of its time. Battery Randolph was dedicated on December 7, 1976 as the home of the U.S. Army Museum of Hawai‘i.