In California, here are the guidelines for historic landmark listing. The Hanalei certainly didn't qualify.

Criteria for Designation
To be eligible for designation as a Landmark, a resource must meet at least one of the following criteria:

The first, last, only, or most significant of its type in the state or within a large geographic region (Northern, Central, or Southern California).

Associated with an individual or group having a profound influence on the history of California.

A prototype of, or an outstanding example of, a period, style, architectural movement or construction or is one of the more notable works or the best surviving work in a region of a pioneer architect, designer or master builder.

And here are the results of a listing, which doesn't outlaw remodeling or destruction:

Effects of Designation

Limited protection: Environmental review may be required under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) if property is threatened by a project. Contact your local planning agency for more information.

Local assessor may enter into contract with property owner for property tax reduction (Mills Act).

Local building inspector must grant code alternative provided under State Historic Building Code. Registration will be recorded on the property deed.

Automatic listing in California Register of Historical Resources.

Bronze plaque at site (underwritten by local sponsor) ordered through OHP; highway directional sign available through local Department of Transportation (Caltrans) district office.

Here are the criteria for Federal Listing. Note that most buildings under 50 do not qualify, but the Kahiki was an exception.

Criteria for Evaluation

The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:

A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or

B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or

C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or

D. That have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

Criteria Considerations

Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National Register. However, such properties will qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria or if they fall within the following categories:

a. A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance; or

b. A building or structure removed from its original location but which is primarily significant for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event; or

c. A birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building directly associated with his or her productive life; or

d. A cemetery which derives its primary importance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events; or

e. A reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived; or

f. A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance; or

g. A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance.

And the results of Federal Listing (highlighting added):

Listing in the National Register honors a historic place by recognizing its importance to its community, State or the Nation. Under Federal law, owners of private property listed in the National Register are free to maintain, manage, or dispose of their property as they choose provided that there is no Federal involvement. Owners have no obligation to open their properties to the public, to restore them or even to maintain them, if they choose not to do so.

I really don't think that these programs can help stop what happened to the Hanalei, Sam's, and Royal Hawaiian, as they didn't with the Kahiki.

I would support a Mai-Kai listing if the owners wished to see it happen, if only to get them some publicity.

[ Edited by: thejab 2006-11-15 13:07 ]