What Is the Kawaiahaʻo Church?
This was formerly the national church of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi!
What Makes It Historical?
On April 19, 1820, a delegation from Boston’s Mission Church, led by Reverends Hiram Bingham and Asa Thurston, arrived in Honolulu, aboard the brig Thaddeus. King Kamehameha III granted them this land at a spot called Kawaiahaʻo, meaning the spring of High Chiefess Haʻo, and here they set to building a church out of timber imported from Boston and 14,000 slabs of local coral! The cornerstone went down on June 8, 1839, and the church opened its doors on July 21, 1842!
This church became known as the “Westminster Abbey of the Pacific” after hosting the inaugurations of Kings Kamehameha IV and Lunalilo, who’s buried on church grounds. Here, King Kamehameha III is supposed to have uttered what’s now Hawaiʻi’s motto, “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono,” or “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness!” Many years later, on August 21, 1959, ceremonies at Kawaiahaʻo Church marked Hawaiʻi’s statehood!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Hawaiian Historical Society!
- Donate to the Kawaiahaʻo Church!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
957 Punchbowl St
Honolulu, HI 96813
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Services take place every Sunday at 8:30 AM!