Images of Old Hawaiʻi

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Winne Units

“These halls, this learning environment, launched the academic careers of tens of thousands of Punahou students.” The Mary Persis Winne Elementary Units, built between 1950 and 1955, were designed by the renowned architect Vladimir Ossipoff. Born in 1876 in Carson City, Nevada, Winne was the granddaughter of Reverend Asa and Lucy Thurston.

Winne came to Punahou as a second grade teacher in 1898, and rose to become the principal of the then newly formed Punahou Elementary School in 1918. By the time she retired in 1941 she had served generations of Punahou students for 42 years. Punahou is replacing the Winne Units with new facilities for grades 2-5.

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Laniākea Cave

Reverend Asa and Lucy Thurston were in the Pioneer Company of American Christian missionaries, arriving in Kailua-Kona in 1820. “(T)hey chose a valley, about half a mile from the residence of the governor, and near the entrance of Raniakea (Laniākea,) as the spot where they were most likely to meet with success (for their home.)”

“The part of the wall now standing, is near the mouth of Raniakea (Laniākea,) the spacious cavern … After entering it by a small aperture, they passed on in a direction nearly parallel with the surface; sometimes along a spacious arched way, not less than twenty-five feet high and twenty wide… The cave runs into a deep subterranean pool of very cold water….”

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Sereno Edwards Bishop

Sereno Edwards Bishop was born at Kaʻawaloa on February 7, 1827; he was son of Rev. Artemas and Elizabeth (Edwards) Bishop (part of the Second Company of missionaries to Hawaiʻi (arriving April 27, 1823) and first stationed at Kailua, on the Big Island.) Mrs Bishop had been a girlhood friend of Mrs Lucy G Thurston, […]

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kapa Moe

Ancient Hawaiian bark cloth was originally called kapa which literally translates to “the beaten thing.”  Kapa was used for clothing, bed covers, items of trade and gift items, indicators of wealth and status and objects of ceremonial or religious events.  (Romanchak) Clothing consisted of three main items of apparel: the pāʻū or skirt for the […]

by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Cemetery Pupu Theatre at Oʻahu Cemetery – Videos of Performances

Hawaiian Mission Houses sponsored Cemetery Pupu Theater the past two weekends – if you missed it, you missed some great live performances.  However, I taped each (on my cell phone) and links to each are provided here. Actors are dressed in period costume telling the life events of select individuals buried at O‘ahu Cemetery – […]