Hawaii

Photography: Courtesy of David Croxford Article Written By: Loren Moreno, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? A landmark in the Kailua Village in Kona, Moku‘aikaua Church enjoys the unique distinction of being Hawai‘i’s first church. Its 195-year history began when Boston missionaries arrived on the Big Island after the death of King Kamehameha I. The current building sits on land once belonging to Prince Liholiho. In fact, Liholiho donated his home in 1820 to be the first church building. It was later rebuilt in 1837. Recently named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Moku‘aikaua represents the “new” western architecture of early 19th-century Hawai‘i and is a symbol of Hawai‘i’s missionary past. Its roof and iconic steeple were built with ‘ōhi‘a wood that had been cured in the ocean. Its walls are constructed of lava rock and mortared coral. What threatens it? While far from crumbling, Moku‘aikaua is in need of major repair and restoration, says senior pastor David de Carvalho. The church suffered earthquake damage in 2006, including large cracks in the south corner walls, which threaten its structural integrity. Salt air has also caused deterioration in the building’s aging wiring and electrical system. Moku‘aikaua’s steeple, the highest structure in this sleepy community, is perhaps its greatest problem, suffering from termite damage and severe rotting. What can be done? Civil engineers are helping the church develop a plan to reinforce the building’s walls, replace its rotting beams and rebuild its steeple. Work would be done in three phases, but Moku‘aikaua will need some $3 million to do it.

Library restoration to result in new Kohala Heritage Center 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 [...]

Photos: Courtesy of Macario UPDATE: December 2011 According to Holly McEldowney of State Parks Division, before improvements or major management efforts can begin, the division of state parks needs to amend its master plan and environmental impact statement to include these parcels.  This is dependent upon state funding.  In the meantime, Keakealaniwahine sustained damaged during the 2006 earthquake, while the 2010 tsunami ruined shoreline features at Keolonahihi. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2005 Article Written By: A. Kam Napier, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? This complex features at least 29 known archaeological sites over more than 16 acres, including heiau, platform foundations and, most impressively, the remaining 10-foot high walls of chiefess Keakealaniwahine's home, dating back to about 1650. Only two women are known to have ever ruled the Big Island, Keakealaniwahine and her mother, Keakamahana. It was quite a family: Keakealaniwahine was also the great-great-grandmother of Kamehameha I. What threatens it? First Hawaiian Creditcorp acquired the complex though a foreclosure and donated it to the state in 1998. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has reported that the complex suffers from natural and manmade deterioration and lacks comprehensive monitoring, restoration or interpretation. The site is also threatened by surrounding development. To date, none of these threats have been countered. What can be done? Some of this is about to change, says Martha Yent, state parks interpretive program supervisor. Keakealaniwahine and the nearby Keolonahihi State Historical Park have since been placed on the Hawai'i Register of Historic Places as the Holualoa Archaeological District. DLNR recently received $1.2 million in state and federal money to purchase a piece of private property between Keakealaniwahine and Ali'i Drive. "A lot of the Hawaiian community have asked us [...]

Photos: Courtesy of Macario Article Written By: A. Kam Napier, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Once the heart of Hilo's rail system, where engines were serviced, this roundhouse was actually a casualty of the April 1, 1946 tsunami that devastated Hilo. The wave didn't physically touch the 1921, eight-bay concrete roundhouse, but it destroyed nearby railroad tracks and bridges. A group of Big Island sugar plantations had run the trains as the Hawaii Consolidated Railroad. They decided to close the crippled railroad rather than repair it. Tsunami or no, closure was likely inevitable as plantations throughout the Islands moved to trucking, closing their rail lines around the late 1940s. Little else of Hilo's railroad history remains in the town. What threatens it? The roundhouse has been used for storage for decades by various construction Inc., which has used it since 1972 and owned it for the past 15 years. It has fallen into disrepair. What can be done? The roundhouse has its fans, but as yet, none with a specific plan for adopting and preserving the structure. Wayne Subica, owner of the Hilo museum Memories of Hawaii, would like to buy the roundhouse and use it for a museum of plantation history. "it's not in perfect condition, but its restorable, " he says. "It would be neat, I've got some railroad memorabilia and other people have a lot more. If that history isn't preserved, it will be lost. Bryson Saiki, President of Constructors Hawaii says, "We're open to suggestions. If an offer came in, we'd seriously consider it. To be honest, it's deteriorating and at some point it may become necessary to tear it down.

Photos: Courtesy of Macario UPDATE: 2012 After severe damage by the 2006 earthquake, buildings of the Homestead had to be emptied of their many contents. These items were cataloged, and are now being preserved in climate controlled containers. The buildings themselves have been stabilized and await further restoration. When restoration of the Homestead is properly completed, it will serve as a museum housing a collection of historical artifacts and showcasing the rich history of the Bond family and the people of Kohala. Selected items from this collection will soon be on display at 'Iole’s new Exhibit Center adjacent to the Homestead. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2007 Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magazine What is it? Although no one has lived in the homestead for 60 years, this house was once the home of Father Bond, a missionary who devoted his life to the Hawaiian community in Kohala. Built in 1840, it is the oldest wooden structure in Kohala, and, along with the former Kohala Girls School and various expansions to the main house, is part of the 54-acre Bond Historic District. In 1999, the Bond family sold the estate to the New Moon Foundation, a nonprofit organization. What threatens it? In the ’06 earthquake, many of the stone buildings on the estate, including Bond’s office, suffered the same type of damage that the Kalahikiola Church did, with walls collapsing outward from the shaking. New Moon has temporarily shored up the structures, and retained Mason Architects to evaluate the damage. What can be done? Although the buildings lie within the Bond Historic District, the designation does not legally compel the private landowners to rebuild them. Ultimately, it’s up to New Moon to decide what it [...]

Photos: Courtesy of Macario UPDATE: SAVED IN 2010 The Hawai‘i Conference Foundation, Kalahikiola Congregational Church, Mason Architects, Inc., Kikiaola Construction Company, Tanimura & Associates, Inc, and Wallace T. Oki, P.E., Inc. recieved a Preservation Award in 2010 for the reconstruction of the historic Kalahikiola Church after earthquake damage sustained in October 2006. LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN 2007 Article Written By: Michael Keany, HONOLULU Magzine What is it? This North Kohala church was founded by missionary Rev. Elias Bond and his wife, Ellen, who arrived in 1841. Determined to build a church that would stand the test of time, parishioners carried stones by hand from the surrounding areas for the walls, and constructed the roof from hand-hewn ‘ohia wood held together with mortise and tenon joints. The church was dedicated in October 1855, and today has been placed on both the national and state historic registers. What threatens it? Until October of last year, the thick, stone walls of the church looked plenty sturdy, but over the years, the coral mortar used by the original builders had dried and crumbled back into sand. When the 6.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the Big Island, large sections of the walls crumbled into piles of rubble on the lawn, turning the church into a media poster child of the earthquake’s devastation. Miraculously, the structure didn’t collapse entirely, and the congregation was able to temporarily shore up the walls, keeping the church upright until permanent repairs can be made. What can be done? Glenn Mason, the architect hired to rebuild the church, says that at least 90 percent of the walls need to be replaced. “The challenge is going to be saving the rest of the building—the floors, the roof—and we’re [...]