NEWS RELEASE, DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
9/29/23 (LĀHAINĀ, MAUI) – A team from the DLNR State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), joined by the Lead Environmental Advisor from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have made preliminary conclusions that some of the most notable historic structures burned in the Lāhainā fires can be rehabilitated.
Maui County has placed small signs in front of at least 12 buildings, noting that “This site has been identified for the highest level of care…access to this site without a cultural monitor is prohibited.”
Chelsea Klein, FEMA’s lead environmental planning and historic preservation advisor for the Lāhainā disaster said, “I’m impressed by the fact that particularly the stone, masonry and concrete buildings appear to have a lot of structural integrity.”
Klein has been with FEMA for 17 years and has responded to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. “The historic fabric seems to hold up better through some of these disasters than more modern construction,” she explained. “I guess there was more time and care associated with building public buildings or infrastructure in times gone by, rather than modern planned obsolescence,” Klein added.
Those who built structures like the Old Lāhainā Courthouse, the Baldwin House and Master’s Reading Room, and the Seamen’s House and Hospital used a level of effort that Klein said we don’t spend these days.
“The structures were built better and stronger back then. It is highly likely that these structures can be rehabilitated, as the historic fabric is still there, and should continue to endure for the community,” Klein said.
Tuesday was SHPD Administrator Dr. Alan Downer’s first visit to Lāhainā since the August 8 fires.
“Obviously the level of destruction in Lāhainā is catastrophic, but many of the iconic buildings in the town’s National Historic Landmark District are actually in pretty decent shape,” Downer commented.
In addition to public historic buildings, the team found many of the stone or masonry commercial buildings on Front Street can be restored to the condition they were in prior to the tragedy.
Downer added, “I’m really pleased. From the first photographs I saw it looked like everything was gone and that’s not the case. There are important historic buildings here that I think can be repaired.”
SHPD will be involved along with cultural practitioners and experts in monitoring clean-up activities and debris removal.
The long-term fate of each building will depend on what the county and the community want. Property owners will make the final decisions about what they want for their buildings. As for who pays for rehabilitation of damaged structures, FEMA will help to identify if rebuilding is eligible for public assistance, will work to ensure compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, and will help bring in the right people and expertise to rehabilitate structures appropriately. Additional financial assistance, such as state and federal historic preservation tax credits or grant programs, may be available to owners of historic properties to assist with their rehabilitation and restoration through the Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division.
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RESOURCES
(All images courtesy: DLNR. Click on photo at top to view image slide show.)
HD video – Lāhainā historic buildings assessment (Sept. 26, 2027) Access here:
Photographs – Lāhainā historic buildings assessment (Sept. 26, 2027) Access here:
Media Contact:
Dan Dennison
Communications Director
(808) 587-0396
Lahaina Historic District Devastated by Wildfire
8/11/23: The town of Lahaina on the island of Maui has been decimated by wildfires that raged overnight on August 8-9, 2023. We do not yet know the extent of the damage, but the initial reports indicate that the entire historic district may be lost. The fires are still burning and the emphasis is currently on containing and extinguishing the fires and attending to the needs of the displaced and affected people. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is heartsick at the reports of the incalculable losses to the people of Lahaina and all of Maui. Our best wishes go to those who have lost family and friends, homes and businesses. The impact to Hawaii’s historic fabric is devastating and leaves us reeling with depth of the loss.
Once the fires are out and the site is cold, assessment will begin. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation will work with our partners in the County, State and Federal preservation organizations to help with inventory and evaluation, especially to see if any of the resources can be salvaged or even restored. The County of Maui’s cultural resources staff plan to conduct a reconnaissance survey to determine the best way to protect what is left of historic sites and buildings and to develop a strategy to recover anything we can from the ashes. However, at this time, we simply do not know what, if anything, remains.
HHF’s partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation has offered up to $10,000 from the Sam & Mary Cooke Preservation Fund for Hawai‘i to help with assessment and recovery planning for the National Historic Landmark. Partners with the Hawai‘i State Historic Preservation Division, the University of Hawai‘i’s Historic Preservation Graduate Certificate Program and the Society of Architectural Historians have also offered financial, technical and volunteer assistance.
Lahaina Restoration Foundation’s executive director, Theo Morrison, said, “This unprecedented fire emergency has brought tragedy to our doorstep. Many homes, businesses and historic places have been damaged and destroyed. We need to come together now to make sure our town recovers from this. Please make sure this tragedy is not the end of our story.”
Pioneer Inn – before
Pioneer Inn – after ( Photo courtesy DLNR)
Lahaina Harbor – before
Lahaina Harbor – after ( Photo courtesy DLNR)
Lahaina Lighthouse – before
Lahaina Lighthouse – after ( Photo courtesy DLNR)
Old Lahaina Courthouse – before
Old Lahaina Courthouse – after ( Photo courtesy DLNR)
Baldwin House – before
Masters Reading Room – before
Baldwin House & Masters Reading Room – after ( Photo courtesy DLNR)
Lahaina Restoration Foundation
To help with the historic preservation effort, please consider a donation to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.
Lahaina’s historic significance is vast and crosses many periods of time. The Lahaina National Historic Landmark and many of its buildings come from the early 19th century, reflecting its past as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the early days of western contact through whaling and shipping, followed by the influence of the early American missionaries. The sugar plantation era also shaped the experience and design of the town. The historic sites, buildings and monuments throughout the town served to keep those memories alive.
Over the past several years, Historic Hawaii Foundation supported Lahaina Restoration Foundation in many of its preservation efforts, including projects at:
- Old Lahaina Prison
- Lahaina Courthouse
- Wo Hing Museum
- Pioneer Mill Smokestack
- Hale Aloha
- Baldwin Museum
- Masters’ Reading Room
We have sponsored presentations about Lahaina as the former capital and efforts to restore the cultural landscape at Moku‘ula. We stand ready to assist again as we face this tragedy together.