HistoricHawaii

The sounds of taiko drumming, Baika chanting, and ukulele come from the newly painted Daifukuji Soto Mission in Kealakekua on Hawai‘i Island. Daifukuji means “The Temple of Great Happiness.” Besides being a center for Buddhist study and practice, this landmark site provides a place of peace and wholesome activities for local community. Thanks to an historic preservation grant from the Freeman Foundation, in cooperation with Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, this community mainstay has been refreshed. Established in 1914, Daifukuji is the oldest Soto Zen Buddhist Temple on the Kona side (and one of the oldest Soto Zen temples in the state). The Temple is listed as a Kona Heritage Building and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is exemplar of community efforts for its construction, maintenance and preservation. In 1914, the Reverend Kaiseki Kodama walked around the entire island twice in order to collect the donations needed to build a temple. The first contributions (financial, materials, and labor) were offered by merchants, tofu makers, coffee farmers - friends or business owners living near the temple. This communal care is still evident. Due to over twenty years of volcanic nature, weather, ocean salt and hot sun, it is time to work to preserve. One hundred-year-old buildings that are used by the community on a regular basis always need loving care and preventative care – just like people.  ~Community member Teri Hollowell Daifukuji Soto Mission’s rich history is reflected in its interesting architecture, art, and furnishings. The two rounded koa wood pillars at the front of the main altar were brought down from the mountain on sleds by a church member who was an immigrant from Hiroshima. His son and grandson made the [...]

A new display in Hanapēpē Community Park memorializes the history of the former Hanapēpē River Bridge on Kaumuali‘i Highway on Kaua‘i. The Federal Highway Administration and the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation moved forward with a bridge replacement project starting in 2016 after finding that the original timber piles had deteriorated due to marine borer infestation and decay. The reduced structural integrity compromised the bridge’s safety and the location of the piles made a targeted repair unfeasible, leading to the decision for a full replacement. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation participated in the review of the project’s effects on the historic bridge and signed a Memorandum of Agreement as a concurring party to the resolution of effects. Hanapēpē River Bridge was built in 1938 as part of the Kaua‘i Belt Road system as part of the work of master engineer William R. Bartels, who was Chief Highway Bridge Engineer for the Hawai‘i Territorial Highway Department. The railing and end monuments were designed to reflect the unique heritage of Hanapēpē. HDOT had previously declared the bridge to be of “high preservation value” and eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The MOA included a stipulation that FHWA and HDOT would salvage a portion of the original bridge to be incorporated into a historic display, along with signage about the history of the bridge and flood control measures, the development of Hanapēpē town, and the overall history of the community and surrounding area. After consultation with community members, the agencies decided that the community park would be the most accessible location for the displays. The display includes three interpretive signs as well as a portion of the concrete railing and end monuments. Images, top [...]

By Linsey Dower, June 19, 2023 - Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Reprinted with permission.) A small group of volunteers in Kohala is working to raise funds to restore the town's nearly century-old Bond Memorial Library. The group is called the Bond Library Restoration Project, and they have been restoring the building across from the King Kamehameha statue in Kapaau to transform it into what will eventually become the Kohala Heritage Center. "It's really a very historical little corner," said Christine Richardson, one of the leading volunteers of the Bond Library Restoration Project. "It served as a library from 1928 until 2010, and it has rich and deep community memory." Sharon Hayden and Richardson, who are spearheading the project, initiated the restoration about a year after the library closed. They understood the historical significance of the building and sought to turn it into a heritage center rather than see it deteriorate. "We want to tell the history of Kohala," Hayden said. "There's also never been a repository for any of the items that the older folks have." Two nonprofits, the North Kohala Community Resource Center and Friends of the Future, have served as the project's fiscal sponsors, helping to process the grants and donations the project has received, Richardson said. The restored structure will house resources for the community to learn more about Kohala as a historic town and the birthplace of Kamehameha the Great. Funding aside, Richardson said that one of the biggest challenges throughout the process so far was transferring the title of the property from the state to the Bond family, who were the original property owners before the library's construction . The transfer took about 11 years and $45,000 in legal fees, which [...]