By 1866, the need for a new courthouse government building in the Hawaiian Kingdom was apparent. The old courthouse, completed in 1852, accommodated not only the judicial needs, but also served as the reception hall for diplomatic ceremonies and official social functions. The legislature appropriated funds towards a new palace and a new government building. […]
A Building Tells Stories About Buildings
This story is one of the unhappy stories I had while at DLNR. We were dealing with the last of its kind – so losing it had a different, and more permanent, meaning. I hope telling the story will help keep the memory alive. This is not only of personal concern, at the time I […]
Kualoa Airfield
Kualoa is an ancient Hawaiian land division (ahupua‘a) at the north end of Kāne‘ohe Bay, windward O‘ahu. The ahupua‘a extends from the coast to the top of the nearly vertical, fluted mountain behind. The area of Kualoa Regional Park has been modified in the past as a result of different land uses. Prior to World […]
Kulaokahu‘a – The Plains
On January 9, 1847, the Polynesian reported there were 1,386 buildings in Honolulu, 1,337 of these were residences: 875 made of grass; 345 adobe; 49 coral; 49 wood and 29 stone/coral below, wood above. Washington Place was built that year by future-Queen Liliʻuokalani’s father-in-law. Excluding visiting sailors, foreigners made up only some 6 per cent […]
Captain William Sumner
Captain William Sumner was born in 1786 in Northampton, England; he boarded a British vessel as a steward of the captain, and came to Hawaiʻi in 1807. When the ship arrived on Kaua‘i, William Sumner jumped-ship and lived amongst the Hawaiians there. Kaumuali‘i was the king of Kaua‘i at the time, and when he saw […]