Hawaii

Photos: Courtesy of State Historic Preservation Division Article Written By: Katrina Valcourt, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Ancient Hawaiians used a system of trails called ala loa to travel between ahupuaa in precontact Hawaii. Over time, many evolved from footpaths tp our modern highways, but the routes remain. One of the best preserved examples is a 175-mile trail on the Big Island called the Ala Kahakai. Portions of it are on the National Register of Historic Places, however, there are many other "in-between" trails that are not, especially connecting trails running mauka to makai. What threatens it? All ancient trails are threatened by forces of nature (suck as lava flows or landslides), neglect or development. It's especially hard to preserve the trails that have not been identified as part of the ancient system; however, when they are identified, the State Historic Preservation Division takes measures to protect and preserve them, according to administrator Alan Downer. "The difficulty is that we are often working with fragmentary information. So we may have bits of trail segments identified in a report but nothing to put them in context of a system of trails," he says. "In such instances, it is difficult to make really effective management decisions because we don't have the information we need to make better ones." According to Aric Arakaki, superintendent of the Ala Kahakai with the National Park Service, "Everything is voluntary on the part of the land owners and the public to preserve it." He says that about50 percent of the trail runs through private property. "Any place that you see development coming up, we're kind of worried." What can be done? Arakaki says, "Trails that fall outside of our corridor, if they [...]

Article Written By: Katrina Valcourt, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? THis is one of the last remaining timber bridges in the Hawaii state highway system, according to the State Historic Preservation Division's files. Built in 1940 by engineer William R. Bartels, the 60-foot historic bridge carries Mamalahoa Highway over Ninole Strea. Though 76 years ole, its wooden columns and railings remain structurally sound, but it's not wide enough for modern transportation needs and does not match other bridges in the system. What threatens it? THe Federal Highway Administration's Federal Lands Highway Division and the state Department of Transportation have proposed a replacement bridge that would be able to accommodate larger vehicles and be safer. The project overview states that, as of Setp. 1 the final Environmental Assessment is being prepared, maps are being reviewed and the project is almost 100-percent designed. Funding, however, hasn't been acquired yet. What can be done? Because the bridge is eligible for the Hawaii Register of Historic Places, someone can nominate it to the state register without having to get the Department of Transportation's permission (this is not the case for sites nominated to the national register). Being listed on the register wouldn't guarantee its protection, but the State Historic Preservation Division would have to review the demolition first and could ask for other proposals to be considered. The current proposal calls for a temporary bridge to be constructed next to the current one whole the new bridge is being built. If the temporary bridge were built as the permanent replacement, the original bridge could remain for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Photography: Courtesy of USAG-HI Directorate of Public Works Article Written By: Loren Moreno, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Quonset huts were designed during World War II as easy-to-assemble, temporary buildings that could be broken down and reassembled quickly. Many of the more than 100 huts at the Pōhakuloa Training Area were constructed during the 1950s and reportedly contain the only Quonset-hut chapel in the Army. The state says they make up one of the last remaining groups of huts still in use in the U.S., and it’s probable their materials were used on other military bases prior to coming to Pōhakuloa. What threatens it? The Army is looking into demolishing the huts, which are corroded and no longer meet Pōhakuloa’s requirements. “From an engineering perspective, we don’t believe they’re repairable,” says Sally Pfenning, director of Public Works for the U.S. Army Garrison Hawai‘i. “They were never meant to be permanent.” The huts may qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places because the type of structure is associated with World War II, but, in that case, only a few huts would need to be preserved. What can be done? Pfenning says the Army is currently going through the legal process with the state Historic Preservation Division, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation and other partners to see if the huts are eligible for the register. Within the next six months there will be a public comment period for the proposed changes. However, most of the huts were used as Cold War-era housing; a loophole in the National Historic Preservation Act requires the Army must take comments into consideration, but is not obligated to formally resolve them. To preserve the huts, some alternatives to demolition may be: Move them to another area, reevaluate the treatment of Cold War-era housing review or reevaluate to which era the huts truly belong.

Article Written By: Katrina Valcourt, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? The Kalapana painted church isn’t in Kalapana anymore. That’s because, when lava was about to take the town in 1990, the church parishioners decided to move the building to safety. (Good thing they did, since lava covered the highway just hours later.) In 1996, the church moved again to its current location along Highway 130; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places shortly thereafter. The building is one of only two remaining painted churches by Father Evarist Gielen, who built it in 1930 and painted the ceiling with religious scenes. Other artists have since added their work, covering the walls as well. What threatens it? The paintings are peeling, and someone threw a rock through a stained-glass window. Roseanna Kanoa, owner of Big Island Processing across the street, says people go there and abuse the building, so they’ve had to lock some of its windows. Previously, the Kalapana ‘Ohana Association helped maintain the church, but the group is no longer active, leaving Kanoa and two other volunteers to care for it. “We try to raise funds, but everything goes to overhead, electric, porta-potty, water, general liability and fire insurance, the lease and property tax,” she says. What can be done? The paintings need to be restored by a specialized craftsman, but donations from tourists who pick up religious trinkets are minimal and go toward basic costs and repairs. Right now, Kanoa’s goal is to finish painting the outside of the church. “People always say they’ll help, but they never come through.... I really don’t know what’s going to happen.” She says if someone were to find a painter and put up the money, it could be restored, but nobody has time to even fundraise. She says the state is too overwhelmed to take it on, even though it’s on [...]