A Brief History of the First Chinese
Church of Christ in Hawaii

Our Present Site

In 1926, seeing much of the Chinese population moving out to the suburbs and the coming of the Princess Theatre across the street causing distractions and parking problems, the church bought the Old Grandville Hotel in Makiki.

On June 16, 1929, the new church at 1054 South King Street was dedicated.

Its blend of the architectual arts of old China with elements of the newer west by well-known Honolulu architect Hart Wood was considered one of the striking new pieces of architecture of the time in Hawaii.

It has since become one of the islands' most photographed buildings.

With a new building, came a new name. Utilizing the commonly used nomenclature for Protestant churches in China, THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN CHINA, the church was renamed THE FIRST CHINESE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN HAWAII.

In 1954, a new parsonage was built to replace the old parsonage that was so old that its ceiling literally caved in on the pastor's wife as she was cooking dinner.

In 1958, 32,000 square feet on the Ewa end of the church property was bought and a building was dismantled at Hickam Field and transported to FCCC to be reassembled as the new Master's Hall, which provided the church a gathering place, auditorium, meeting spaces, a gymnasium, large stage, kitchen and two offices.

In 1965, the Founders' Hall, a three-story educational building was built to replace the termite-ridden Damon Hall, the last of the Old Grandville Hotel structures, which was too small to accomodate the several hundred Sunday School students who attended.

In 1966, the Preschool Program is started.

In 1985, a seperate Chinese Ministry is established as the regular 10:30am Bi-Lingual Worship service is replaced by an all-English program.