A $500,000 gift has been given to the Bishop Museum to restore Hale Pili, the grass house at Hawaiian Hall, by the Mary D. and Walter F. Frear Eleemosynary Trust.

The hale is the only surviving example of an authentic Hawaiian house in Hawai'i today, according to a press release issued by the museum.

"We are extremely grateful to the Frear Eleemosynary Trust for providing much-needed funding toward the restoration of Hawaiian Hall, the world's premiere showcase of Hawaiian and Pacific cultures," said Robin Midkiff, co-chairman of the $20 million Hawaiian Hall Restoration Campaign. "The restoration of the Hale Pili — the last standing example of early Native Hawaiian architecture — and other much-needed restoration work will be made possible by this generous grant."

Hawaiian Hall was closed in July 2006 to undergo a $20 million renovation.

The Mary D. and Walter F. Frear Eleemosynary Trust was established in 1936 for religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes. Mary Frear had particular interests in education and cultural programs in art, drama, music and nature.