The Legacy of Kaua’i’s

For Mark McCaslin, the end of his family’s decades long “stewardship,” as he calls it, of Kaua‘i’s famed Ka Lae Kiki estate couldn’t have been more fitting: it sold for a record-breaking $10.5 million, the highest price ever for a Po‘ip oceanfront property, and won The Wall Street Journal’s House of the Year for 2020.

“The Home of the Year is a real honor we all sincerely appreciate,” says McCaslin. “After 60 years and four generations, we feel grateful that others will get a glimpse of a place that has been so special to so many.”

Located on a revered point along the Po‘ip Beach coastline, this magical property is best known for its unique history as the former home of Judge Philip LaVergne Rice, Hawai‘i’s last Territorial Chief Justice, its oceanfront pool in its lava rock point, and its address.

With three-quarters of an acre and nearly 500 feet of ocean frontage, the estate is among the most expensive oceanfront properties in coveted Po‘ip Beach.

“There is truly nothing like it on Kaua‘i or on any of the other islands,” says Hannah Sirois with Corcoran Pacific Properties, who along with her daughter Cassady Sirois Kruse, also with Corcoran Pacific Properties, was the listing agent on the property. “Properties like this very rarely change hands, which only added to its allure,” she adds.

Destroyed in 1982’s Hurricane Iwa, which left only the pool and concrete slab foundation, Ka Lae Kiki (sandpiper in Hawaiian) was re-imagined in the 1990s by the late architect James Morton, known for his classic designs at Kiahuna Plantation. Morton’s enduring architecture welcomed generations of family members and vacation rental guests through the years.

“I want to emphasize that Ka Lae Kiki’s real value is the land, the history, the spirit,” says McCaslin.

Its history is indeed storied: In 1947, Judge Philip LaVergne Rice acquired the land to build Ka Lae Kiki. Born on Kaua‘i and nominated by President Eisenhower to the Territorial Supreme Court, Judge Rice soon became Hawai‘i’s Territorial Chief Justice. Judge Rice commissioned John Gregg Allerton, the son of Robert Allerton to design Ka Lae Kiki. Allerton also designed his father’s 80-acre Kaua‘i estate, now part of the revered National Tropical Botanical Garden, a 15-minute walk from Ka Lae Kiki.

In addition to the privacy offered by Ka Lae Kiki’s gated entry and location, it benefits from its proximity to the world-class amenities of the exclusive Club at Kukui‘ula. Developed by Alexander & Baldwin and DMB & Associates, Club at Kukui‘ula is the luxurious center point of an approximately 1,000-acre development of high-end homes located across the street.

“This house, this property, is special beyond its obvious beauty, and for a few years, it has felt like it might be time for a new custodian to enter the frame,” says McCaslin. “We know we have found a family that understands Kaua‘i’s spirit, appreciates the property’s history, and will continue to protect and preserve the home for future generations.”