THE 9 MOST ENDANGERED SITES IN HAWAII
photo by Richard Cooke, III
All photos courtesy of Honolulu Magazine.
St. Sophia Church
(Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i)
photo by rae huo
photo by rae huo
photo by rae huo
photo by rae huo
photo by matt thayer
photo by rae huo
photo by rae huo
photo by timothy dela vega
Coco Palms Resort
(Kapa‘a, Kaua‘i)
Fort Kamehameha
(Hickam Air Force Base, O‘ahu)
The ‘Auwai of Nu‘uanu Valley
(Nu‘uanu, O‘ahu)
Kalauha‘eha‘e Fishpond
(Niu Valley, O‘ahu)
Engineering Quad
(UH Manoa campus, O‘ahu)
IBM Building
(Honolulu, O‘ahu)
Maui Jinsha Shinto Shrine
(Paukukalo, Maui)
‘Ewa Field
(‘Ewa, O‘ahu)
by Michael Keany, Honolulu Magazine
This annual list, compiled by the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, in cooperation with the State Historic Preservation Division, selects some of Hawaii’s most endangered historic places. Although the sites vary in historic era, architectural style and original purpose—everything from a statehood era office building to a centuries old fishpond they all contribute to our understanding of Hawaii’s history. The heritage we preserve, and the stories told by these structures, help give Hawai‘i a sense of place, and a soul.
While inclusion on this list does not automatically protect or preserve the sites, it’s our hope that it will raise awareness and inspire active participation in the community around us. Learn more about this year’s nine most endangered historic sites in Hawai‘i, the threats to their survival and what can be done to save them.
What is it?
The pineapple may have disappeared from Moloka‘i as an industry, but the small Catholic church built in 1937 to serve sakadas (Filipino plantation workers) still stands in Kaunakakai.
Moloka‘i planner Nancy McPherson says the church is an increasingly valuable artifact from Molokai’s plantation era. A lot of significant buildings have been demolished by neglect, she says. St. Sophia is one of the last left. Interestingly, the church is named not after a Catholic saint, but after Sophia Cook, the wife of the Moloka‘i Ranch manager.
What is it?
The Coco Palms is one of Hawaii's most renowned classic resorts. Owner Grace Guslander pioneered romantic traditions that have become de rigueur in the local hospitality industry, such as the torch-lighting ceremony.
The site's historical significance predates the resort, though. It was long a favorite center for Hawaiian monarchy; High Chief Deborah Kapule lived there in the mid-1800s, and cultivated fishponds in the area.
What threatens it?
Hurricane Iniki hit the resort hard in 1992, and the Coco Palms has been shuttered ever since. Not for lack of interest in reopening it. As Kauai historian Pat Griffin says, "There is general agreement that it is an enormously important cultural and historical site, and should be protected." But no one has yet been able to make the numbers work.
“There’s a cultural history here that’s hugely important,” says historian John Bond. “ ‘Ewa Field is directly tied into the key battles of World War II, from Pearl Harbor to Wake Island to Midway.”
‘Ewa Field was officially decommissioned in 1952. Today, the airfield sits empty, overgrown with grass and kiawe trees.
What is it?
Built in 1916, Fort Kamehameha was originally an Army Coastal Artillery Post. After World War II, however, coastal artillery became obsolete, and most of the non-residential buildings were demolished. The remaining 33 homes stand as great examples of the Bungalow/Arts and Crafts style of the era, earning it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
What is it?
Centuries ago, Nu‘uanu Valley was one of Oahu's primary bread baskets, filled with taro, breadfruit and other staples of the Hawaiian diet. In order to irrigate their crops, Hawaiians built an elaborate system of ditches, called ‘auwai, that diverted water from Nu‘uanu Stream, through the lo‘i and then returned it to the stream.
What is it?
This fishpond in Niu Valley sits on what was once King Kamehameha’s kalo patch. Thanks to the freshwater artestian spring that feeds it, it was once one of Oahu’s most thriving and productive fishponds, housing ‘awa, ahole-hole, mullet and other favorites. Local residents may also know it as Lucas Pond, after the family that inherited the land from Kamehameha.
What is it?
Vladimir Ossipoff designed this Ala Moana Boulevard office building for the IBM Corp. in the early 1960s. It boasted a straightforward layout, and niceties such as a distinctive grille that's made it one of Honolulu s most iconic buildings.
"It's an interesting and worthwhile remnant of Hawaii’s 1960s period," says Sydney Snyder, Ossipoff s long time architectural partner.
"It’s from that era when people put grilles on everything. This grille survived because it was unique and more elegant than most."
What is it?
These four buildings next to the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s Campus Center constitute some of the oldest buildings on campus—their small size a reminder of how much the school has grown since its early days. One of them, the Engineering Materials Testing Laboratory, built in 1915, is predated only by Hawai‘i Hall. The buildings housed the Engineering School until 1959. Today, they provide a home for Ka Leo, UH’s student newspaper, the Board of Publications, Student Support Services, Duplicating Services and the now-empty Beau Press.
What is it?
The only remaining original Shinto shrine on Maui, out of six which once served the island’s Japanese population, and one of very few left in the entire state.
The shrine was originally constructed in Kahului in 1915, but when new development plans for the area threatened demolition, the congregation moved the entire shrine to its current Paukukalo site over the course of an entire year, finishing in 1954. The Rev. Masao Arine passed away in 1972; today, his wife, Torako Arine, carries on as priest.
What is it?
Originally established in 1925 as a Navy field for airships—yes, dirigibles—this military site was used only sporadically until early 1941, when the Marine Corps converted it into an active airfield as World War II heated up around the world. When the Japanese fighter pilots buzzed in close on Dec. 7, they were able to destroy or badly damage almost 50 aircraft, and kill four Marines. The field itself was left relatively unscathed, and continued to play an important role in training and deploying Marines during the war.
Historic Hawai‘i Foundation
680 Iwilei Road, Suite #690, Honolulu, HI 96817
Phone: 808-523-2900 Fax: 808-523-0800
Email: webmaster@historichawaii.org
Copyright 2003-2009 Historic Hawaii Foundation unless otherwise noted
| Get connected. Sign up for e-mail alerts. |
HISTORIC HAWAI‘I FOUNDATION
More About the Most Endangered Historic Sites in Hawaii
More About the Most Endangered Historic Sites in Hawaii
View Most Endangered Historic Sites in Hawaii in a larger map
