Kalākaua Park on Hawai‘i Island has served as Hilo’s town square since it was dedicated in 1877 by King David Kalākaua. A recent project restored the historic stonework that defines the amphitheater and brought back key elements of the landscape design.
Working on the path restoration.
The park contains several historic features, including the stone-lined tiers of the amphitheater that was installed in the 1930s. Over time, the stones have settled, been covered by lawn and maintenance ramps, or have been dislodged. The disrepair made the space less inviting and usable.
Other historic features of the park include the original shade trees, said to have been planted by Kalākaua himself. A sundial donated by the King also helped the people of Hilo set their watches for decades. A pond and marble monument honor community members who died in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. The park is surrounded by historic buildings, including the Federal Building, the former courthouse and police station (now the East Hawai‘i Cultural Center) and the Hawaiian Telephone Company.
On April 26, the restoration work began with a blessing of the place, crew and tools. Work had progressed enough to allow the traditional May Day festivities and rededication of the park on May 1. Work continued through the month, with a closing blessing on May 26.
“The park looks stunning and is admired by a great many old timers who remember how it looked before, and great many newcomers who appreciate the strong design lines of the Thompson landscape design firm,” said Cannon-Eger.
During the course of the project, the crews found a previously unknown line of stones under one of the terraces. The cut stones were different than the others, with a rough side and a beveled side. They appeared to be edging from the courthouse era. They were documented and then re-covered and left in place.
Other improvements included relocating the maintenance ramp away from the terraces and to a location on the flat lower section of the park. This allowed the crews to restore the amphitheater’s original terraces while still allowing access to the park for equipment and service. The crews discovered the original stones were still present under the grass ramp and could be reset in place.
The Friends of Kalākaua Park led the restoration project with the support of the County of Hawai‘i Parks and Recreation Department. Project managers were K.T. Cannon-Eger and Marcia Timboy. Landscape architect Loriann Gordon served as the preservation expert and oversaw the design plans, based on historic research and documentation. Stonemason Patrick Merritt and his crews did the work.
The final stage of the project will be to install new historic interpretive signage to share the story of the park.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation provided financial support with a grant from the Hilo Preservation and Beautification Program. Significant volunteer and community donations also supported the project.
“The completion of this restoration will reestablish Kalakaua Park as Hilo’s town square, and further determine downtown Hilo’s historic and cultural significance.”
– Marcia L. Timboy, Project Co-Manager
Master stone mason Patrick Merritt (at center, to the right of the sign) and his crew with the restored stone-lined tiers of the amphitheater.
By Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation
All photos courtesy of K.T. Cannon-Eger. This article was published in the July 2021 issue of Historic Hawai‘i News, HHF’s membership newsletter.