KA'AHUMANU CHURCH
Ka'ahumanu Church
Past to Present
Kaʻahumanu Church is a Church in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. Established in 1832. The first church building was nothing more than a small shed. The current structure, the fourth on the site, was built in 1876. It was built to honor Queen Ka'ahumanu's earlier request by Wailuku Sugar Company manager Edward Bailey. It is built in the New England simple style Gothic Architecture.
The bell and three clock faces are from the Seth-Thomas clock works, and brought over in 1884 around the Cape Horn. The apparatus was donated by the Bailey family at a cost of $1000.00. Chandeliers were added in 1892. Maui County officials designated the clock in Ka'ahumanu Church as the "Town Clock" in 1964.
The history of the congregation and the present church have associations with some of the more notable missionaries, such as Edward Bailey, Jonathan Green, Richard Armstrong, William Alexander, Thomas Thurston, and Daniel Conde. There are also some associations with important political figures, such as Kaahumanu.
It is said that John Honoli'i & Thomas Hopu are buried on the property somewhere in and unmarked grave. John Honoli'i & Thomas Hopu were two of the four Hawaiians that came back to Hawaii with the first company of missionaries on the Thaddeus from Boston. These four also studied in New England with Henry Opukaha'ia.
Upon visiting a religious service in Wailuku in 1832 Queen Ka'ahumanu requested that a more permanent church structure be named for her. Her request was not honored until 1876 when the current structure was built by Edward Bailey.
Wailuku Church, ca. 1870. Watercolor by Robert Wilson Andrews - 11 3/8 x 18 inches. Mr. Andrews was born at Lahaina luna in 1837, the son of the Missionary Lorrin Andrews. He was trained as an engineer in the U. S. and returned to Hawaii where he supervised the construction of a number of the early sugar mills and in his spare time made sketches of the scenery. This unique view of the Wailuku Church shows the building as originally constructed, before the alterations of the 1870's, when the building was cut in half, and half the length became the width of the present structure. Stones from the discarded half were used to build the wall along High Street, facing the front of the present building. To the right of the church can be seen the original bell tower, now in ruins, and the smokestack of the steam flour mill of Wailuku.
$10,000 CHECK PRESENTATION TO KICK OFF CAMPAIGN
The Capital Campaign to raise 2 million dollars for the sanctuary and steeple restoration was kicked off, on Thursday March 3, 2022 at Ka'ahumanu Church with Doctor and Pastor James Marocco from King's Cathedral presenting Kahu Wayne Higa and the congregation of Ka'ahumanu church with a check for $10,000.
Mahalo to Dr. Marocco and congregation of King's Cathedral for your blessing.
I want to help. Keep me in the loop.
