Children's society in midst of makeover

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Hawai'i Mission Children's Society, one of the state's most important historical preservation institutions, turns a distinguished 150 years old this month, and to make sure it keeps up its appearances — and functions — the society is undergoing a few strategic nips, tucks and enhancements.

The society, which serves as custodian of the Mission Houses Museum and the HMCS Library, was founded in 1852 by the adult children of Hawai'i's Congregational missionaries to lend financial support to a second generation of missionaries.

For the past century, however, the society's focus has been on preservation of historical structures, documents and artifacts relating to the missionaries and life in 19th-century Hawai'i.

One of the museum's main attractions — the Chamberlain House of 1831 — is in the midst of a $1.2 million renovation that, funding permitting, is expected to take 2 1/2 years. Acting executive director Stuart Ching, also the museum's curator, said the renovation will include masonry work to prevent damage from moisture rising from the ground into the structure's walls.

The society is making improvements to the HMCS library vault. The library houses some 12,000 books and pamphlets (including rare books and Hawaiian language texts donated by territorial Gov. George Carter, a past president of the society), as well as hundreds of photographs, manuscripts and other records.

The society is also looking to firm up its future administration with a national search for a new executive director. Advertisements for the job will run in Mainland publications on May 4 and May 5. Ching says the society hopes to have a new director selected by the fall.

One of the new director's priorities will likely be finding additional space for the museum and its holdings.

"We've just about maxed out our existing space," Ching said.