Nestled into the hills above Honolulu, Lihiwai stands as one of the most ambitious private residences ever built in Hawaiʻi. The nearly century-old estate sits in Nuʻuanu Valley and dates to 1929, when it was commissioned by former territorial governor George Robert Carter and his wife, Helen Strong Carter, whose family is tied to the founding of Eastman Kodak. 

Set across roughly 1.8 acres, the compound includes a main residence and two guesthouses totaling just under 25,000 square feet, with six bedrooms and nine bathrooms. It has been described by the National Register of Historic Places as likely the largest and finest private residence ever constructed in the state.

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Part of what sets the home apart is its construction, which leans toward a more solid, almost institutional approach. Thick, steel-reinforced stone walls and locally sourced volcanic rock with a distinctive blue-gray tone give the structure a sense of permanence—materials more often associated with civic architecture than private residences.

The grounds follow a similar logic. Historic ʻauwai irrigation channels run through the property, feeding a series of reflecting pools that cascade down toward Nuʻuanu Stream. The landscape unfolds in a sequence of terraced garden spaces, anchored by a Chinese moon gate and framed by dense tropical greenery.

The current owner, builder Richard Ethington, purchased the estate in 2010 for about $3.5 million and subsequently undertook an extensive restoration. According to the Wall Street Journal, the project lasted roughly four years and cost about $13 million, with updates focused on preserving original details while making the home more suitable to a modern lifestyle.

The updates also reshaped how the home functions. Spaces like the kitchen—once divided into separate rooms for staff—were opened up, while outdoor areas were adapted for entertaining, including the addition of a large pool and gathering spaces.

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Lihiwai’s scale, however, comes with trade-offs. “To walk from the kitchen to the master bedroom takes 15 minutes,” Ethington told the WSJ, describing the realities of living in a house of this size. He is looking to downsize, according to the publication.

The estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s and remains a unique holdover from Hawaiʻi’s early 20th-century building era. It is now on the market for $22 million with Jovanna Giannasio-Fern of Hawai‘i Life.

Click here to see more photos of the Honolulu home.