The Power of Place: Hakalau Jodo Mission’s Continuing Legacy
Celebrating 120 Years of a Community Gathering Place By Susan Forbes Hakalau Jodo Mission, located on Old Māmalahoa Highway in Hakalau, Hawai‘i Island, is the community’s gathering place. Supported by an HHF Preservation Grant, Hakalau Jodo Mission completed a five-year rehabilitation project in 2024, just in time for [...]
Hawaiian Railway Society Restores the “Merci” Boxcar
At a special ceremony on February 2, 2025, the Hawaiian Railway Society rededicated a historic railway car and shared a glimpse of post-World War II history. The “Merci” Boxcar came to Hawai‘i in 1949, one of 49 “Merci” boxcars sent by France to the U.S. filled with gifts [...]
The Power of Place: A New Chapter for Hawai‘i’s Oldest Wooden Episcopal Church
In November 2024, Christ Church Episcopal in Kealakekua celebrated the completion of a significant restoration project to preserve its historic structure. The Church was constructed in 1867 and is one of only a few nineteenth-century frame churches on the island of Hawai‘i and is the oldest wooden Episcopal [...]
Restoration of Kauai’s Historic Gulick-Rowell House Underway
Restoration Work has begun! Restoration work at the historic Gulick-Rowell House in Waimea, Kaua‘i officially began in March 2025, led by Chara Hoe of Kuleana Contractors. Chara—a native Hawaiian licensed contractor born and raised on Kaua‘i—brings a deep passion for local heritage to the project. The restoration is [...]
Four Properties Added to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places
The Hawai‘i Historic Places Review Board added four properties to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places and an amended nomination for an existing property was approved in November 2024. Properties are eligible for inclusion in the register if they meet one or more criteria of historic significance: A) association [...]
Five Maui Historic Restaurants Receive Grant Support
The National Trust for Historic Preservation selected five historic small restaurants on Maui for grant support in response to the economic impacts from the 2023 fires. Small businesses on Maui, heavily reliant on tourism, have weathered a series of devastating challenges over the past five years. The onset of [...]