Address
Aloha Tower Dr., Honolulu, HI, 96813
TMK
(1) 2-1-001:060
SHPD Historic Site Number
80-14-9700
National Register of Historic Places
#73000659
Abstract
The four-mastered ship Falls of Clyde is a floating exhibit moored in Honolulu harbor. Falls of Clyde was rescued from destruction, moved to Honolulu and first restored and opened to the public in 1968. Since then, the vessel had undergone continual restoration. The 1878 ship is the world’s only surviving four-mastered full-rigged ship. Built in Great Britain in the quarter of the 19th century during a shipbuilding boom inspired in part by increased trade with the United States. Sold to American owners, Falls of Clyde gained American registry by a special act of Congress in 1900. Henceforth she was involved in the nationally important Hawaiian transpacific sugar trade for Capt. William Matson’s Matson Navigation Company. Falls of Clyde is significant as the oldest surviving member of the Matson fleet. In addition, Falls of Clyde retains integrity of design, materials, and workmanship, and is of exceptional national significance as the oldest surviving American tanker and as the only surviving sailing oil tanker left afloat not only in the United States but also in the world.
UPDATE:
In November 2023 the Hawaii Historic Places Review Board voted 4-1 in favor of removing the Falls of Clyde from the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places and recommending removal from the National Register. The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) Harbors Division had initiated the application for the ship’s removal with a case that the qualities which made it eligible for listing are no longer present based on an evaluation of the ship’s physical condition.
In January 2024, the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places concurred with the State’s recommendation and removed the Falls of Clyde from the National Register of Historic Places.
This list of Hawaii’s historic properties is provided as a public service by Historic Hawaii Foundation. It is not the official list of properties designated on the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places. For official designations and determinations of eligibility, contact the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources of the State of Hawaii at 808-692-8015.