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Getting to Know HHF's Newly Elected Board Members

Prepare Your Home for Storms and Hurricanes 
 with HHF''s Seminars & Resource List

Now Available: Recording of the Post-Viewing Discussion 
with the Filmmakers

HHF Seminars on Section 106 Consultation
Part 2: Section 106 Consultation with Native Hawaiian Organizations
Friday, November 13, 2020  10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Free and open to the public

Fostering Community Resilience Through Places of History, Heritage and Hope

Preserving African American Places:
Growing Preservation''s Potential as a Path for Equity

Innovation and Intrigue in the Rehabilitation
of a Historic Landmark

Who would ever think fabricated rock would be eligible to receive a preservation award?  This was the facetious question that crossed my mind as I headed out with my fellow Preservation Awards Selection Committee members for an unusual site visit at none other than Diamond Head State Park, a state monument that is perhaps THE most iconic natural landmark in Hawai'i.

Known to the ancient Hawaiians as Le'ahi, and better known today as Diamond Head Crater, it is the dramatic remnant of a once-active volcano consisting of a type of highly erodible rock called volcanic tuff. In 1908, the U.S. Army built a trail from the crater ?oor up the interior crater wall to the lookout at the Fire Control Station on the summit. This has become the Diamond Head Visitor Trail which now hosts nearly 1 million visitors every year...[Le'ahi]

Construction of Hale Pili at the Hawaiian Misson Houses Delivers Place-Based Learning

The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Kumu Earl Kawa'a, Kumu Dwight Kauahikaua, and other stakeholders will be recognized with a Preservation Programmatic Award for the construction of a hale pili representation on the grounds of Hawaiian Mission Houses.

In 1820, by order of Liholiho, Boki, Governor of O'ahu, had a row of hale pili (grass houses) constructed for the second company of missionaries who arrived in April of that year.  The hale, occupied first by Hiram Bingham, Daniel Chamberlain with his wife and five children, and Maria Loomis and child, were situated east of the ship landing, along an uninhabited section of the road to Waikiki that later became known as Missionary Row... [Hale Pili]

Hawai'i Theatre Center and Other Historic Properties Receive Preservation Grant Funding Through HHF

Thanks to the extraordinary commitment and generosity of Historic Hawai'i Foundation''s grant partners, several historic buildings and community landmarks around the state have received grants this spring to fund significant repair and rehabilitation work.  In addition to HTC, Isaacs Art Center, Hawaiian Mission Houses, and Lahaina Restoration Foundation received grants through the HHF Preservation Grants program. In Hilo, grants have been awarded to the Hilo Farmers Market, Hawaiian Electric Light Co. Building, Hilo Plaza, the Beatrice Lau Building, and Kalakaua Park through the HHF Hilo Preservation and Beautification Program.

The staff of Historic Hawai'i Foundation expresses our deep gratitude to our grant partners for their unwavering support during an unprecedented time.  We look forward to reporting on the outcomes in the near future.

Due dates and information about the next round of  applications are available here: [Funding Sources]

Rehabilitation Gives New Purpose to Ala Moana Buildings

The rehabilitation of two historic buildings just off of Ala Moana Boulevard-the 1900 Screen House and 1940 Pump House-is a wonderful example of how "old" buildings can be preserved and continue to serve the community with a new purpose.  Both structures are part of the larger Ala Moana Pumping Station complex that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

All three buildings were part of an ambitious scheme in the 1880s and 1890s to improve public health in the growing city.  Outbreaks of disease and an epidemic led to the creation of the city's first public sewer system that would collect waste-water and channel it to this site on Ala Moana Boulevard...[Adaptive Reuse]

Our Next Online Presentation:
Kuhina Nui Kekauluohi: Hawaiian Women, Power, and Law in the mid-19th century

Thursday, July 9, 2020  -  4:30 to 5:30 P.M.

Dr. Shirley E. Buchanan, lecturer at the University of Hawai?i, Manoa, presents her research on the extraordinary life of Miriam Kekauluohi, also known as Ka?ahumanu III. Daughter of Kaheiheimalie, Kekauluohi was a wife to both Kamehameha I and later to Kamehameha II.

From 1839 to 1845 Kekauluohi served as Kuhina Nui* (or premier). The 1840 Hawaiian Constitution outlined the historical position of Kuhina Nui which was previously held by women such as Ka?ahumanu I and Ka?ahumanu II (Kina?u) as a model for successive generations. 

Kekauluohi was the first Kuhina Nui to serve under the precepts of the new Constitution and although her reach was extensive ... [Kekauluohi]

Did you miss a prior presentation?

• U.S. Congresswoman Patsy Mink and her signature legislation, Title IX: A

• Emma Nakuina & the Preservation of Hawaiian Culture

HOPE Crew Honors Ancestors at Kalaupapa

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has shared the inspiring news of students from the University of Hawai?i at from Hilo participating in a HOPE (Hands on Preservation Experience) Crew preservation workshop and cultural immersion program at Kalapapa, offered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS).

The Native Hawaiian students, enrolled in a public history course, were invited to participate in this preservation workshop with the goal of cleaning every known grave marker on the peninsula over this two week period...[Connecting].

Learn more about the technical process used to clean more than 1,200 gravestones on this Hawaiian island [here].

Photo courtesy: Molly Baker

Historic Hawai'i Foundation in collaboration with
Friends of Kaumuali'i presents:
Return to Pa'ula'ula/Fort Elizabeth:
A Virtual Presentation

September 10, 2020, 4:30 to 5:30 P.M.

Kaua'i's Pa'ula'ula, commonly known as Russian Fort Elizabeth for the last century, was previously part of King Kaumuali?i's own kauhale (village). A luakini (political heiau) and a royal compound were located at Pa'ula'ula for many generations before Westerners arrived. 

Why was Pa'ula'ula/Fort Elizabeth built and what role did it play on the international stage in the kingdom ruled by King Kaumuali'i? What was the connection with the kingdom's own intrigue and politics? How does the complexity of the history and the alternative narratives associated with this site impact the efforts to document and interpret it?

These are some of the questions Dr. Peter Mills, professor at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, will touch on in this virtual presentation. [More]

"What is your favorite historic place?"
"Which places are under threat?" 
"What types of engagement are you interested in?"

122 people responded to these and other questions in our Virtual Engagement Survey, sharing their concerns about specific historic and archaeological resources, along with valuable feedback for future programming.  Click here to learn what they had to say: [Results]

Educating the Next Generation: Summertime Deep Dive into Preservation

For sometime, HHF has been actively seeking to initiate meaningful opportunities and experiences for young people, especially in the area of internships. Our goal: to educate youth (specifically high school and college level students) about historic preservation practices, introduce them to significant historic sites and share the diversity of potential careers in the field. We received special grant funding and were on track to develop a full summer internship for winter and/or summer of 2021-then the pandemic hit. As we were thinking about how best to move forward, I received a very interesting email from a young woman named Nayun Hong... [Continued]

Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence
Virtual Exhibit

"Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence" was an exhibit shown at the National Portrait Gallery from March 2019 through January of this year. A substantial selection from the exhibition is now available for viewing via Google Arts and Culture website. The exhibit outlines "the more than 80-year movement for women to obtain the right to vote as part of the larger struggle for equality that continued through the 1965 Civil Rights Act and arguably lingers today." It is remarkable for revealing a more inclusive documentation of the Suffrage movement. [View]

Please also visit HHF''s Hawaii''s Women''s Suffrage Centennial Commemoration of website for local event updates and profiles.

WILHELMINE DOWSETT: HAWAI?I SUFFRAGE PIONEER

VISIT HISTORIC PLACES FROM HOME

NOSTALGIC MUSIC TO SOOTHE YOUR SPIRIT - AN HPR COLLABORATION

COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR A THRIVING LAHUI

SUPPORT HISTORIC HAWAI'I FOUNDATION

Future Engagement Survey -- OOPS!

Mahalo to the 100+ people who responded to our survey last week. You shared many interesting comments and helpful input. We look forward to making a closer assessment of the results. 

Because all responses were collected anonymously, for those of you who offered to assist us as a volunteer or had a question, we''re unable to contact you to follow up!  Please email or leave a message at (808)523-2900 ext. 22 and leave your name and contact information. We''ll provide you with more information about opportunities to get involved. Sorry for the inconvenience; at least technology has caught up with our need for privacy!

For anyone who''d missed the chance to respond, click below to get started. 

New Recommended System for Ala Wai Project Evaluated in Technical Report

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Honolulu District has completed an Engineering Documentation Report that provides a new recommended plan for the Ala Wai Flood Control Project. The new report provides a technical evaluation of the flood control system with modifications designed during the past year. The USACE welcomes public comment on the new report. 

Historic Hawai'i Foundation commented on the previous plans, expressing concerns about the effect of the project on historic resources both in the mauka areas and at the canal. HHF is also a concurring party to the Army Corps of Engineers Programmatic Agreement that establishes a design review and mitigation process to resolve effects on historic properties from the project. HHF will be reviewing the new study and providing additional input and comment as needed. [More]

Exploring My Family Heritage: Miloli'i Fishing Village
Guest Post by Heather Leilani Kekahuna

I've always felt disconnected from my identity and wanted to learn more about where my kupuna came from. Attending Honolulu Community College through the Hulilikekukui Native Hawaiian Center, I had the opportunity to participate in a summer internship program in Ke'ei and Honaunau on Hawai'i Island where I completed the WAHI Kupuna Internship Program in 2018....When I first stepped foot on the island of Hawai'i, my intention was to learn about Cultural Resource Mana]gement, retracing the very steps of my kupuna, Henry E.P. Kekahuna by mapping and preserving ancestral knowledge for future generations. [Miloli'i]

Preservation Grants Supports the Arts--and The Environment--at Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center

"There is so much to be gained by creative use of historic sites without tearing down existing buildings...Housing our art studios and fine art gallery on a historic site elevates the whole experience for our students and visitors...when you are at the Hui's Kaluanui Estate, you can't help but feel a sense of regard for all that came before you." - Caroline Killhour, former executive director of Hui No'eau. [continued]

Explore Art in a Virtual Format

This year the Hui has taken to sharing the artwork created by young artists participating in its 9-week Kalanui Summer Camp classes in a virtual format.  Students were invited to find inspiration in the architecture and grounds of the Makawao estate for some of the assignments with delightful results!  [Art]

Image courtesy of Hui Noeau Visual Arts Center

Share Your Story: Hawaii Life in the Time of COVID-19

ALU KA PULE I HAKALAU:
Standing Together for Justice and Equity

6/3/2020: Since last week we are seeing a massive collective response to systemic racism, with both peaceful protests and destructive acts in cities across the country. We are profoundly disturbed by the horrific death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and that of others who have been targeted for their race. We join with those who strive to ensure that justice and equity are applied to all humankind, and that all people are treated with dignity and respect.
 
In the face of this crisis-which compounds the health and economic damage already facing our communities-it can feel overwhelming to respond to the moment. But we need to acknowledge these events and talk about how we can collectively address these issues to foster justice and reconciliation with peace and aloha... [Statement from HHF]

Image: ?Michelle Mishina Photography

Sharon Hayden Embraces Kuleana For "The Painted King"

The statue of Kamehameha the Great stands tall in front of the Kohala Civic Center in Kapa'au, not far from the birthplace of Hawaii's greatest king.

For over two decades, care and kuleana for this public sculpture, known as the Painted King, has fallen to Sharon Hayden, a 45-year resident of North Kohala on Hawai'i Island, and a dedicated community volunteer...[HAYDEN]

Preservation of a Plantation-Era Building in Paia, Maui

Retaining the historic character-defining elements of an 86 year-old building while bringing it up to building code requirements often presents a tough balancing act. This rehabilitation thoughtfully navigated through that process, while adding a touch of contemporary style... [F. Garcia Building]

Burbank Street: Preservation Unites a Neighborhood

"Listing five homes of the Burbank Street neighborhood (to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places) has created synergy among homeowners, deepened their architectural awareness, and strengthened the area's sense of place.

Burbank Street has always been a tight-knit community, but through the historic registration process, the residents' relationships were enhanced as they supported and encouraged one another to achieve the common goal of preserving their neighborhood." ... [Burbank Street]

Facts & Myths About Historic Designation

• HHF''s Guide to the Historic Register (downloadable pdf)
• Facts and Myths about Historic Designation
• Information on Tax Incentives

Finding a Way to Honor Ancestors at a
Significant Military Site

A Look Through the Rearview Mirror

Bob Sigall, a familiar name among readers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, is the creative mind behind the weekly column, Rearview Mirror, that shares stories and history about Hawai'i's people, places and businesses.  With a natural knack for making history accessible, Sigall adds a signature dose of charm and an endless sense of curiosity and admiration for Hawai'i's past in his prose providing his readers with a sense of identity and awareness.

"I think it (the column) tells us who we are today, it's not just things that happened to other people," remarked Sigall in a 2019 interview.¹  "We are the remnant of that history and we are thrown into the world from those people and those events that happened in the past.. [Rearview Mirror]

Untold Stories from a Dark Period of Hawai?i''s Past

"Voices Behind Barbed Wire: Stories of Hawai?i" is a documentary about Japanese Americans from Hawai?i interned during WWII, and includes updates on local internment sites, including Honouliuli National Historic Site.  Produced by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai?i, the powerful film is one of this year''s Achievements in Interpretive Media honorees.

The film explores the personal accounts of Hawai'i's Japanese Americans from their initial arrest and internment in places like Kilauea Military Camp (Hawai?i Island), Sand Island and Honouliuli (O?ahu), as well as their incarceration in...[Internment]

Bicentennial of the Arrival of ABMC Missionaries and Establishment of Three Historic Churches

As part of the Preservation Honor Awards, Historic Hawai'i Foundation recognizes milestone anniversaries of local organizations, companies and historic places. This year marks the 200^th year of the arrival of the pioneer company of Christian missionaries to Hawai'i.

The Bicentennial Anniversary Recognition will be presented to the Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site & Archive/Hawai'i Missionary Children's Society, Mokuaikaua Church, Waimea Mission Church, Kawaiaha'o Church, and the Hawai'i Conference of the United Church of Christ (HCUCC) .

On October 23, 1819, the Pioneer Company of American Protestant missionaries from the northeast United States set sail on the Thaddeus ship bound for Hawai'i.  After 160 days at sea, on March 30, 1820, the Pioneer Company first sighted and landed at Kawaihae on the Island of Hawai'i.  [Bicentennial]

Alexander and Baldwin Reaches Sesquicentennial Year

In 2020, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (A&B) reaches its sesquicentennial: 150 years since its founding in 1870.
 
Now primarily a real estate company that owns, operates and manages local properties in Hawaii's business, industrial and retail communities, A&B was founded as a venture to grow sugarcane in 1870 on Maui. The company has evolved over 150 years from agriculture to include railroads, shipping companies, commercial real estate and other business ventures. [A&B]

Consultation Tips And Best Practices Compilation Available

A significant tool for communities saving historic places is the process of Consultation, a process to seek, discuss and consider the views of various stakeholders, and, where possible, reach agreement on matters arising in efforts to identify and resolve effects on historic properties. Historic Hawai'i Foundation has compiled tips and best practices for various components that together create a climate in which effective consultation can occur. [More]

Preservation Grant Opportunities

Thanks to the steadfast commitment of our grant partners, Historic Hawai'i Foundation is able to offer grants for preservation projects in Hawai'i. We encourage owners of historic properties to consider these opportunities to rehabilitate your leaky roof, restore a termite-damaged interior or other projects. The next round of application dates are:

• September 14, 2020: Hilo Preservation Grants
• October 1, 2020: HHF Historic Preservation Grants; Sam and Mary Cooke Preservation Fund for Hawai'i; and the National Trust Preservation Fund.

 Click here for information about all HHF Grants

Together, we can build resilient and diverse communities
that share our history!

Photo: Hana Buddhist Temple, before and after. Grant funds helped stabilize the property and provided much needed repairs to the underlying support structure, exterior envelope, wood floors, electrical systems, walls, trim and doors.

HHF Receives CARES Grant from the
Hawai'i Council for the Humanities

"Small or large, I am so impressed with how these organizations are making some really innovative changes to continue their programs. Many organizations are working to re-prioritize local communities, preparing for a future where tourism is not going to come back anytime soon."

-Stacy Hoshino, HIHumanities Director of Grants and Special Projects

As part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act economic stabilization plan appropriated by Congress, NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede and the National Endowment for the Humanities distributed $30 million to 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils as emergency aid for local humanities organizations. 

In Hawai?i, HIHumanities distributed its entire CARES Act allocation of $465,700 to a total of 38 organizations throughout the Islands. Historic Hawai'i Foundation is honored to be one of the recipients, receiving $15,000 that will support our operations during these uncertain times.

"Our humanities community are museums, archives, historical sites, learning centers. They are educators and stewards committed to strengthening Hawai'i's communities by caring for our cultures, histories, and identities, by providing space for expression, reflection, and connection.
The humanities care for our whole selves, and we feel the need for this now more than ever." [More]

Mahalo nui to HIHumanities for your support! 

Recording Available:
Shipwrecks & Seafaring Stories of Hawaii's Past
Presented by Dr. Hans Van Tilburg, NOAA

The ocean is a museum of lost shipwrecks that reflect our maritime past in the Pacific, from the days of the explorers to the plantation era and two world wars. These wrecks are undiscovered bits of history that can tell us surprising things about the past.

On Thursday, Dr. Van Tilburg shared tales of survival and intrigue and other historical accounts of Hawaii's underwater cultural heritage. Listen to a recording of his unique presentation [here]. 

(Photo: Local steamships serviced many of the Hawaiian plantations.  The boiler (foreground) and engine (background) of the SS Maui, lost at Mahaiula Bay in 1917. [J Kuwabara UH MOP])

Preservation Achievements Celebrated on July 22nd

Mahalo to everyone who joined us for the annual Preservation Honor Awards Ceremony.  This year''s celebration was a virtual program viewed by hundreds of people around the country and honored forward-thinking leaders and community achievements in the Islands.
 
A recording of the one-hour program, which included an exclusive interview with Frank Haines Award honoree, photographer David Franzen, is available on HHF''s YouTube channel.  Read about the Award-winning people and projects in our blogs.

HHF Seminars on Section 106 Consultation
Part 1: The Section 106 Four-Step Process
Date: Friday, October 16, 2020
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Part 2: Section 106 Consultation with Native Hawaiian Organizations
Date: Friday, November 13, 2020
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

It''s time for (Virtual) Movie Night!
Wailua: Ke Awawa o Na Ali'i, Valley of The Kings
Thursday, October 22
6:30 PM Film Screening
7:00 PM Q&A with the Filmmakers 

Docomomo US Tour Day

Malama Our History: Community Speaker Series
by Hawai'i Council for the Humanities

Hawai'i 2.0 Shaping Our Future
October 1 - November 4

"The Music of Kalaupapa"   

A Virtual Concert

October 17, 2020 at 1PM