Day 356: King Kamehameha III's Royal Residential Complex, Lahaina, Hawai’i
📌APIA Every Day (356) - From 1837 to 1845, King Kamehameha III’s Royal Residential Complex in Lahaina, Maui, served as the home of one of Hawai‘i’s last reigning monarchs. Once situated on the sacred islet of Moku’ula within the fishpond of Mokuhinia, the site was not only a royal residence but also a significant spiritual center. During a particularly tumultuous era in Hawaiian history, Kamehameha III spent much of his reign in Lahaina, making the complex a symbolic capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Prior to King Kamehameha III, Moku’ula was home to Maui chief, King Pi’ilani, in the sixteenth century. Pi’ilani’s daughter, Princess Kihawahine, was later deified and became the guardian goddess of the Mokuhinia fishpond. In the 19th century, as Kamehameha I began the process of unifying all of the Hawaiian Islands, Lahaina quickly began a strategic port of control. At one point, Kamehameha I resided near Mokuhinia and adopted Kihawahine as a patron deity before relocating to the Big Island in 1812. It was likely during this time that the first developments of a royal compound began at the site.
Following his ascension to the throne, Kamehameha III eventually claimed Lahaina as his primary residence and began building his complex during the 1930s. To the west of the Mokuhinia fishpond, he built Hale Piula, a two-story, Western-style palace where the first Hawaiian legislature assembled. However, this structure was rarely used as the king and his family mainly resided on Moku’ula in private grass houses known as hale pili. The site also featured a large stone mausoleum, built in 1837, which held the remains of close family members, including the king’s sister, Princess Nahiʻenaʻena, his mother, and his children.
After King Kamehameha III’s death, Moku’ula fell into a state of disrepair. Strong winds destroyed Hale Piula in 1858 and coral blocks from its walls were used to construct the Lahaina Courthouse. The diversion of water from Mokuhinia for sugar plantations eventually transformed the site into a stagnant swamp. By the 1910s, the entirety of the royal complex and fishpond were covered by soil and coral for the creation of a city park.
In 1992, Akoni Akana and other locals advocated for archaeological surveys to be performed at the site which resulted in the discovery of the complex’s remaining retaining walls, stone foundations, and a wooden dock. Three years later, in 1995, the Friends of Mokuʻula formed to restore the site, taking over ownership of the land. Their continued advocacy led to Kamehameha III’s Royal Residential Complex being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. In the aftermath of the Maui wildfires of 2023, the restoration project of Moku'ula has regained attention, marking a renewed commitment to preserving the sacred site.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
National Register Nomination Form
Sacred Sites: Moku’ula and Loko Mokuhinia (King Kamehameha III’s Royal Complex)
AsAmNews: The push to restore Moku‘ula, Lahaina's sacred royal island
#apiaeveryday #nativehawaiian #lahaina #hawaii #kingkamehamehaiii #royalresidentialcomplex #maui #hawaiiankingdom #hawaiianchief #princesskihawahine #friendsofmokuula #nationalregisterofhistoricplaces #mauiwildfires
