The oldest commercial building in downtown Hilo and one of the first substantial buildings erected on Kamehameha Avenue, this two-story frame building reflected the stabilization and increased prosperity that annexation brought to the sugar industry. Large but plain, the building's bracketed cornice was its sole nod toward architectural high style. In 1928, the building was subdivided and sold to its individual proprietors, much to the detriment of the overall design, as the two stores closest to Kalakaua Street were razed to make way for Bishop Bank (HA31). Over the years, the other four owners have pursued their own aesthetic inclinations.
Anthony W. Richley (1844–1921) was born in New York and was a veteran of the Civil War. He came to Hilo in 1899 an accomplished carpenter and contractor, and designed a number of residences and commercial structures here. In 1907, he moved to Honolulu and was Superintendent of Building Construction for the Territorial Department of Public Works until his death. He oversaw the territory's early renovations to Iolani Palace (OA51) and Aliiolani Hale (OA54).