Honolulu House

Honolulu House is a historic home in Marshall, Michigan, built in 1860 as a Hawaiian-inspired house with Italianate and Gothic Revival styles. It was built by Abner Pratt, a former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court and United States Consul to Hawaii under President James Buchanan. Pratt lived in the Hawaiian islands for many years, and after settling in Marshall, he began to recreate his former surroundings by building Honolulu House. The house was built across the street from a house that Pratt had built as a wedding gift for his daughter in 1841. The Honolulu house has a sprawling wraparound porch, reminiscent of the Hawaiian 'Iolani Palace. The walls were painted with tropical scenes. Pratt died of pneumonia in 1863. The house was renovated in 1951 and was acquired in 1961 by the Marshall Historical Society for use as a museum.