Located on Haili Street in Hilo on Hawai‘i Island, Central Christian Church has been a community pillar since 1892. Originally known as the Portuguese Evangelical Church and nicknamed Fisherman’s Church for the early morning services before the fishing fleet went to sea, it was built by descendants of immigrants who came from the Medeira Islands of Portugal. The church changed its name to the Central Christian Church in 1935 to represent a more diverse congregation of many ethnic backgrounds.
The building features stained glass windows that were crafted in Europe and gifted to the church by First United Protestant Church in 1907. In 1914, the building was raised to include a full basement. This also helped the building survive the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960. The interior features fir wainscoting, elegant molding and trim, original pipes from the church organ and many original pieces of furniture and detailing.
The preservation project was supported by a grant through Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s Hilo Preservation and Beautification Program. The project focused on structural integrity and repairs. The work included termite remediation, gutter replacements, restoring the appearance of the doors and windows, repairing the stained glass windows, and general repairs to the fence and walkways.
Pastor Kimberly Hill said, “Central Christian Church has been restored and made more beautiful and functional. We had numerous positive and encouraging comments from the community about the restoration. People seemed to be blessed by seeing positive restoration, growth and results in the midst of the world shutting down. This grant kept us moving forward in vision and morale despite the difficulties of the 2020 year.”
