What Happened to the Anderson Estate?

Screen capture from “The Case Against Philip Christie” (Season 11)

Hawaii Five-0. Leonard Freeman Productions / CBS Television, 1979.

The Anderson Estate appeared in 12 episodes of Hawaii Five-0, even though it is better known as Robin’s Nest from its appearance on Magnum, PI. Word has come down ever since that the beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival home was falling into a serious state of disrepair. To the disappointment of many, it was demolished.

The estate, known as Pohonu, was built in 1933 for state representative Eve Anderson. The 8900 square-feet house was designed by Hawaii architect Louis Davis, who also designed the police station on Bethel Street, McKinley High School on South King Street, and the Waikiki fire station on Kapahulu Avenue.

Fast forward to 2014, when the estate was put on the market for $15.8 million. In March 2015, it was sold to Marty Nesbitt on behalf of Barak Obama for $8.7 million.

In April 2018, the house was demolished. People who admired the house contacted the Historic Hawaii Foundation and asked why it had been torn down without a review as a significant property. The answer lay in a change in the law that offered such protection only to properties sited in historic districts or that were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One can only wonder why Barak Obama did not restore the house. True, restoring old properties is very expensive, but so is building a new house to replace a very special existing house.

The 12 episodes of Hawaii Five-0 in which Pohonu appeared are . . .

* “Forty Feet High and It Kills” (Season 2)

* “Sweet Terror” (Season 2)

* “The Second Shot” (Season 3)

* “The Gunrunner” (Season 3)

* “Is This Any Way to Run a Paradise?” (Season 4)

* “While You’re at It, Bring in the Moon” (Season 4)

* “Cloth of Gold” (Season 4)

* “You Don’t Have to Kill to Get Rich, But it Helps” (Season 5)

* “Death’s Name is Sam” (Season 8)

* “A Stranger in His Grave” (Season 10)

* “The Case Against Philip Christie” (Season 11)

* “Woe to Wo Fat” (Season 12)

Interior scenes are seen in . . .

* "Sweet Terror" (Season 5)

* "Woe to Wo Fat" (Season 12)

Sources:

Demolition Begins for Iconic Home Used for Magnum PI TV. Historic Hawaii Foundation. April 4, 2018. (https://historichawaii.org/2018/04/04/iconic-home-used-for-magnum-pi-tv-show-demolished/, Retrieved October 9, 2023).

Magnum PI Robin’s Nest Now Controversial Obama House Hawaii. Beat of Hawaii, Culture and Events. March 7, 2022. (https://beatofhawaii.com/magnum-pi-home-set-to-become-obama-hawaii-retreat/, Retrieved October 9, 2023).

Dziemianowicz, Joe. Why Robin’s Nest-Magnum PI House Was Demolished. NBC Insider. March 25, 2023. (https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/why-robins-nest-magnum-pi-house-was-demolished, Retrieved October 9, 2023).