Diane had the most beautiful treehouse in Taylor Camp–beachfront with a panoramic view of the ocean and the mouth of Limahuli Stream. The house was roomy and solid, built mostly of materials recycled from the worker housing villages of the Kilauea Sugar Plantation, shut down in 1971. The beams and flooring were salvaged from the Hanalei Bridge when the bridge deck was replaced. This photo has become the iconic image of a Taylor Camp treehouse and was the first house I photographed in the community.
“Taylor Camp for me was a starting point. I experienced something there that has affected me for the rest of my life. I loved that lifestyle, the quiet. I loved living without electricity. We had candlelight, the kerosene lamps. When there was a storm the trees would blow so much, they would rub against the houses and the gusts would jolt you and the lightning would flash, the thunder would crack and the whole camp would hoot and holler. It was a starting point, an enriching time for everybody and from then on we all continued our lives with the lessons we learned from living there.”
—Diane (Striegel) Daniels