Lahaina Historic District

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Lahaina Historic District
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Old Lahaina Courthouse in 2010
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LocationW side of Maui on HI 30, Lahaina, Hawaii
Coordinates 20°52′24″N156°40′41″W / 20.87333°N 156.67806°W / 20.87333; -156.67806
Area1,671 acres (676 ha)
NRHP reference No. 66000302
HRHP No.50-50-03-03001
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966 [1]
Designated NHLDDecember 29, 1962 [2]
Designated HRHPOctober 15, 1966 [3]

Lahaina Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District encompassing most of the community of Lahaina, Hawaii, on the west side of the island of Maui in the US state of Hawaii. Designated in 1962, the district recognizes Lahaina for its well-preserved character as a 19th-century port, and for its social and economic importance in the 19th century as a major whaling center in the Pacific, and as one of the capital cities of the Kingdom of Hawaii. [4]

Contents

Lahaina was a popular residential center for the kings of Maui prior to the arrival of European explorers in the late 18th century. Kamehameha I made his landing here when he began the conquest of Maui in 1795, and Kamehameha II established a residence here in 1819. That same year, the first whaling ships arrived, beginning the community's rise in economic importance. Lahaina eclipsed Oahu as a preferred whaling port between 1840 and 1855, because of its better deep-water anchorage. When Kamehameha III ascended to the Hawaiian throne in 1825, he made Lahaina his capital, preferring it to the busier Honolulu. The town declined in economic importance in the 1860s, as the whaling industry waned. [4]

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962. [2] [4] The district is bounded on the north by Puʻuona Point, the south by Makila Point, and the east by the ridge of hills above the town. Its western bound extends all the way out to the island of Lānaʻi, encompassing the Lahaina Roads, the roadstead which enabled the town's growth in the 19th century. [4] Donn Beach and Pete Wimberly played an important early role in establishing building ordinances to govern restoration and preservation projects in Lahaina. [5] [6]

Buildings

When the landmark district was designated in 1962, nine buildings were called out for their specific contribution to the district. [1] The Historic American Building Survey collected detailed drawings in the 1960s and 1970s. [7] The district suffered catastrophic damage in the 2023 Hawaii wildfires with historic structures being destroyed (highlighted with red background).

Contributing buildings in the Lahaina Historic District
NoNameYearNotesThumbnail
1Baldwin House1835A two-story home used by early missionaries, including Rev. Dwight Baldwin. Destroyed in the 2023 Hawaii wildfires [8] GENERAL VIEW OF FRONT - Baldwin House, Front and Dickenson Streets, Lahaina, Maui County, HI HABS HI,5-LAHA,1-1.tif
2Old Spring House1823Built by Rev. William Richards to enclose a spring and used for fresh water by the community. Maui-Lahaina-OldSpringHouse.JPG
3Court House1859Replaced the Hale Piula, a former palace used for government offices damaged during an 1858 windstorm. Rebuilt in 1925 with significantly altered appearance. Ruins of outer walls were left standing after the August 2023 wildfire, roof and interior destroyed. GENERAL VIEW, SOUTHWEST (FRONT) ELEVATION FROM WEST - Old Maui Courthouse, Wharf and Canal Streets, Lahaina, Maui County, HI HABS HI,5-LAHA,6-1.tif
4Old Prison (Hale Paʻahao)1852Main cell block (plank structure) completed in 1852, and enclosing coral-block wall completed in 1854. Original cell block burned in 1958; reconstructed in 1959 along with the wooden gate house. ENTRANCE TO PRISON COMPOUND - Hale Paahao (Prison), Wainee and Prison Roads, Lahaina, Maui County, HI HABS HI,5-LAHA,4-3.tif
5 Waineʻe (now Waiola) Church 1953Construction started in 1828 and completed in 1832. Destroyed by winds twice and again by fire in 1894. Present structure was completed in 1953, when the name was changed to Waiola. Hawaiian nobility are interred in the cemetery, which dates to 1823. Destroyed in the 2023 Hawaii wildfires [9] Maui-Lahaina-WaiolaChurch-up.JPG
6Hale Aloha1858Meeting house completed in 1858, replacing an earlier stone church dating to 1823. School house and church, restored in the 1980s Maui-Lahaina-HaleAloha-belltowerside.JPG
7 United States Marine Hospital 1842 Herman Melville noted one of his shipmates died at this hospital in 1843. Sold in 1865 and served as a school for girls, then a vicarage for the Episcopal Church. Ruins of outer walls were left standing after the August 2023 wildfire, roof and interior destroyed. Maui-Lahaina-USSeamensHospital-front.JPG
8 Maria Lanakila Catholic Church 1858This church, erected in 1858, replaced an earlier church at the same site built in 1846. The present building was erected in 1928 on the same foundation, but is said to be an exact replica of the 1858 structure. Survived the 2023 Hawaii wildfires [10] Maui-Lahaina-MariaLanakila-CatholicChurch.JPG
9 Pioneer Inn 1901Lahaina's first hotel. Destroyed in the 2023 Hawaii wildfires [11] [12] GENERAL VIEW OF FRONT FROM SOUTH - Pioneer Hotel, Front and Hotel Streets, Lahaina, Maui County, HI HABS HI,5-LAHA,7-2.tif

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahaina, Hawaii</span> Settlement in Maui County, Hawaii, United States

Lahaina is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States, and encompasses Lahaina town and the Kaanapali and Kapalua beach resorts. As of the 2020 census, Lahaina had a resident population of 12,702. The CDP spans the coast along Hawaii Route 30 from a tunnel at the south end, through Olowalu, and to the CDPs of Kaanapali and Napili-Honokowai to the north.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla)</span> United States historic place

Mauna ʻAla in the Hawaiian language, is the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii and the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Lanakila Catholic Church</span> Historic church in Hawaii, United States

Maria Lanakila Catholic Church is a parish of the Catholic Church of Hawaii in the United States. Located in Lahaina on the island of Maui, the church falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Honolulu and its bishop. The parish has a mission in Kapalua under the title of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Maria Lanakila means "Victorious Mary", the Hawaiian language equivalent to the English language epithet "Our Lady of Victory", which refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wo Hing Society Hall</span> United States historic place

The Wo Hing Society Hall was a building located at 858 Front Street in the Lahaina Historic District in Lahaina, Hawaii. Built around 1912, it served the growing Chinese population centered in Lahaina, primarily those working in the sugarcane industry as a social and fraternal hall for the Wo Hing Society. By the 1940s the declining Chinese population in Lahaina slowly made the building redundant and the property was neglected.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mokuʻula</span> Historic house in Hawaii, United States

Mokuʻula was a tiny island that has been buried beneath a baseball field in Maluʻulu o Lele Park, Lahaina, Hawaiʻi, United States. It was the private residence of King Kamehameha III from 1837 to 1845 and the burial site of several Hawaiian royals. The 1-acre (4,000 m2) island is considered sacred to many Hawaiians as a piko, or symbolic center of energy and power. It was added to the Hawaiʻi State Register of Historic Places on August 29, 1994, and to the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 1997, as King Kamehameha III's Royal Residential Complex.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waiola Church</span> Historic church and cemetery in Hawaii, United States

Waiola Church and Cemetery in Lāhainā is the site of a historic mission established in 1823 on the island of Maui in Hawaiʻi. Originally called Waineʻe Church until 1953, the cemetery is the final resting place for early members of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahaina Banyan Court Park</span> Public park in Lahaina, Hawaii

Lahaina Banyan Court Park is a public park located at the corner of Front Street and Canal Street in the town of Lahaina, Hawaii, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1820 to 1845. The 1.94 acres (0.79 ha) park, also known as Lahaina Courthouse Square and commonly called Banyan Tree Park, contains multiple heritage sites on the Lahaina Historic Trail, and a self-guided walking tour through the Lahaina Historic Districts.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Hawaii wildfires</span> Deadly wildfires on Maui and Hawaiʻi, U.S.

In early August 2023, a series of wildfires broke out in the U.S. state of Hawaii, predominantly on the island of Maui. The wind-driven fires prompted evacuations, caused widespread damage, killing at least 115 people and leaving 385 others missing in the town of Lāhainā. The proliferation of the wildfires was attributed to dry, gusty conditions created by a strong high-pressure area north of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lāhainā Lighthouse</span> Lighthouse

The Lāhainā Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse and landmark in Lāhainā, Hawaiʻi. This lighthouse is managed by the United States Coast Guard and the Lāhainā Restoration Foundation maintains it. At the time of its unveiling in 1840, it was the first lighthouse built in Hawaiʻi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Marine Hospital (Lahaina, Hawaii)</span> United States historic place

The U.S. Marine Hospital, also known as the U.S. Seamen's Hospital, was one of the earliest remaining buildings in Lahaina, Hawaii. It is listed as a contributing property to the Lahaina Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahaina Heritage Museum</span> Museum located in Lahaina, Maui

The Lahaina Heritage Museum was a heritage museum and history museum located in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. It was a part of the Old Lahaina Courthouse on the second floor, having opened in 2004, years after the courthouse was restored yet again in 1990.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Lahaina Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  3. "Historic Register Counts". Hawai'i State Historic Preservation Division. State of Hawaii. February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Russell A. Apple (December 21, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places/National Historic Landmark 1974 Update: Lahaina / Lahaina (historic district)" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 18 photos from 1973  (32 KB)
  5. Sinesky, Alice (September 16, 1986). "INTERVIEW WITH DONN BEACH" (PDF). The Watumull Foundation, Oral History Project.
  6. Bitner, Arnold (2001). Hawai'i Tropical Rum Drinks by Don the Beaschcomber. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing.
  7. Abiang, Arlene (September 1, 2023). "Rebuilding, preserving Lāhainā's historic district". University of Hawaiʻi System News. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  8. "Devastating wildfires tear through oldest home on Maui, historic structures in Lahaina". Hawaii News Now. August 10, 2023. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023.
  9. Tanji, Melissa; Thayer, Matthew (August 9, 2023). "Fierce winds fuel damaging fires in Lahaina, Upcountry". The Maui News. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023.
  10. LaRosa, Michelle (August 10, 2023). "'We lost the whole town' - Hawaiian priest asks for prayers after Maui wildfire". Pillar Catholic. Retrieved August 11, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Graff, Amy (August 9, 2023). "Lahaina's 122-year-old Pioneer Inn lost in Maui wildfire". SFGate. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023.
  12. Schaefers, Allison (August 10, 2023). "Century-old Pioneer Inn among property casualties of West Maui wildfires". Honolulu Star Advertiser. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023.
  13. "Lahaina Restoration Foundation: The Baldwin House" . Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  14. "Lahaina Restoration Foundation: The Seamen's Hospital" . Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  15. "Waiola Church: History". Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2010.