Historic Hawai‘i Foundation
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HISTORIC HAWAI‘I FOUNDATION
Pioneer Mill Smoke Stack
What is it?
At one time, this 1928 reinforced concrete smoke stack was the tallest structure on Maui. The Pioneer Mill Sugar Co. operated from 1860 until 1999, leaving the smokestack as a last reminder of West Maui's vanished sugar era.
What threatens it?
Physically, the smoke stack is fairly solid, but needs some work to stabilize it. Of more pressing concern to the Lahaina Restoration Foundation is the question of ownership. Pioneer Mill belongs to Kaanapali Development Corp., the successor company to Amfac, which LRF says has considered tearing the smokestack down.
What Can Be Done?
We've asked Kaanapali Development if they would lease us the land around the stack and we'd fund the restoration," says LRF executive director Keoki Freeland, who was the last plantation manager at Pioneer Mill, leaving that job in 1995. "They have given a somewhat positive answer but no guarantee. That's where we sit."
Freeeland is confident his group can raise the estimated $288,000 needed to restore the smoke stack. (call 808-661-3262 for information).
Kaanapali Development's executive says "The smokestack is not under demolition permit we've applied for. Our first concern is the demolition of the old plant, which is zoned for heavy industry, has no adaptive reuse potential and is dangerous in its current state. In the meantime, we've enlisted a photographer to do museum quality photos and have it donated a lot of records to the Baldwin library. We're going to try to preserve the memory of what happened there, and there is an archeological review that's part of that."
Story by
Michael Keany, Honolulu Magazine
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