Historic places that hold special meaning may be iconic, well-known gems or lesser known treasures where the experiences of our lives unfold and important memories are made.
The photos and descriptions below represent historic sites that hold special meaning to members of our preservation community—places where they live, work, recreate, worship, learn and gather to celebrate significant events.
We invite you throughout May to share historic places that hold special meaning to you and your family on HHF’s Instagram, Facebook or Twitter platforms. Include a photo of the site and short description of why it is important to you. Tag Historic Hawai‘i and use the hashtags: #PreservationMonth #HistoricHawaii
Lili‘uokalani Park in Hilo is meaningful to me since I grew up in Hilo. This is a place my family and I would come to visit as a kid and a place I still like to take my grandmother to on a sunny day. It is a calm and peaceful park along Hilo Bay so it also has a great view of the town and the mountains behind it.
The Līhuʻe Civic Center, today the hub of county administration…provides an invaluable statement about the transition from plantation life to a mixed, urbanizing economy.
Pearl City Hongwanji Mission, specifically the dojo that houses the Aikido and Judo Club, were important in my formative years well before hula became a part of my life.
Dated 1837, Wai‘oli Mission House was associated with Wilcox Missionaries. We excavated the subsurface deposits when the floor was removed for replacement back in the late 1970s. The postholes of the original pole and thatch structure were still present along with the remnants of craft activities practiced by the Hawaiian converts -fishhook making etc. Carol Wilcox was there every day to help with the excavations along with other members of the local community.
The place that matters to me is the YWCA Laniākea Building on Richards Street. I go there daily for exercise and each time I go I appreciate various details of the building and the shadows created by various elements of the building.
Image at top: View from Pālehua, leeward O‘ahu. Photo by Michelle Kiczek.
Wai‘oli Mission House, Hanalei, Kaua‘i
Wailuanui Bridge, Hana, Maui
Pearl City Hongwanji, O‘ahu
Mount Olomana, O‘ahu
Mount Olomana, O‘ahu
Liljestrand House, Tantalus, O‘ahu
Kukuiolono Park, Kalaheo, Kaua‘i
Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i Island
Kamehameha the Great Statue, Kapa‘au, Hawai‘i Island
Ka Iwi Coastline, O‘ahu
Kaʻaʻawa, O‘ahu
Kaʻaʻawa, O‘ahu
Hawaiian Electric Company Building, Honolulu, O‘ahu
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai‘i Island
Diamond Head Crater, O‘ahu
Dojo, Pearl City Hongwanji, O‘ahu
Cooke-Spalding House, Honolulu, O‘ahu
Lili‘uokalani Park & Gardens, Hilo, Hawai‘i Island
Byodo-In Temple, Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu
Līhuʻe Civic Center, Kaua‘i
Bond Memorial Public Library, Kapaau, Hawai‘i Island
Ahu‘olaka Island, Kāne‘ohe, O‘ahu
Laniākea YWCA, Honolulu, O‘ahu
Waterhouse Estate
Puʻu O Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site, North Shore, O‘ahu