ʻIolani Palace

Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace, in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu in the U.S. state of HawaiШаблон:Okinai, is the only royal palace in the United States used as an official residence by a reigning monarch and is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two monarchs governed from Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace: King Kalākaua and Queen LiliШаблон:Okinauokalani. After the monarchy was overthrown in 1893, the building was used as the capitol building for the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and State of HawaiШаблон:Okinai until 1969. The palace was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1978.

History

Pohukaina

In the early 19th-century, this area was known as Pohukaina, probably from pohu ka Шаблон:Okinaāina which in the Hawaiian language means "the land is calm". It may also been named for the chief of the same name (sometimes spelled Pahukaina) who was from Hawaii island. The land was to Kekauluohi, who later ruled as Kuhina Nui, as her birthrights.

The missionary Hiram Bingham I was allowed to build a missionary compound of his house and what became the KawaiahaШаблон:Okinao Church outside of the old town. Some thatched huts were built for royalty to be near a school that the missionaries ran for the royal family at the church. Another missionary William Ellis built his home there, and Prime Minister Kalanimoku decided to build the first stone house on the site, naming it "Pohukaina". After Kalanimoku's death, the building, often referred to as a palace, became the meeting hall for the council of chiefs.

Oral history told of an ancient heiau (temple to the Hawaiian religion) called KaШаблон:Okinaahaimauli that was destroyed in the area.

After 1825, the first Western-style royal tomb was constructed for the bodies of King Kamehameha II and his queen Kamāmalu. They were buried on August 23, 1825. The idea was heavily influenced by the tombs at Westminster Abbey during Kamehameha II's trip to London. The mausoleum was a small house made of coral blocks with a thatched roof. It had no windows, and it was the duty of two chiefs to guard the iron-locked koa door day and night. No one can enter the vault except for burials or Memorial Day, a Hawaiian national holiday celebrated on December 30.

Although Kamehameha III lived in the compound for a while, he had no permanent capital, and left in 1837 for Maui. Over time, as more bodies were added, the small vault became crowded, so other chiefs and retainers were buried in unmarked graves nearby. In 1865 a selected 20 coffins were removed to the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii called Mauna Шаблон:OkinaAla in NuШаблон:Okinauanu Valley. But many chiefs remain on the site including: Keaweikekahialiʻiokamoku, Kalaniopuu, Chiefess Kapiolani, and Timothy Haalilio.

After being overgrown for many years, the Hawaiian Historical Society passed a resolution in 1930 requesting Governor Lawrence Judd to memorialize the site with the construction of a metal fence enclosure and a plaque. Tradition holds that the tomb was on the site of a former cave.

Hale Aliʻi

The Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace structure that exists today is actually the second to sit on the grounds. The original one story wooden building called Hanailoia was built in July 1844, only one-third the floor area of the present palace. Mataio KekūanāoШаблон:Okinaa, who was long-time Royal Governor of OШаблон:Okinaahu, built it for his daughter Princess Victoria Kamāmalu. It was purchased by King Kamehameha III from Kamāmalu (the King's niece) when he moved his capital from Lahaina to Honolulu in 1845. KekūanāoШаблон:Okinaa built his own house directly to the west, and Kekāuluohi built hers to the south near the Pohukaina mausoleum.

It was constructed as a traditional aliШаблон:Okinai residence with only ceremonial spaces, no sleeping rooms. It just had a throne room, a reception room, and a state dining room, with other houses around for sleeping and for retainers. Kamehameha III slept in a cooler grass hut around the palace. He called his home HoШаблон:OkinaihoШаблон:Okinaikea in honor of his restoration after the Paulet Affair of 1843.

The palace building was named Hale AliШаблон:Okinai meaning (House of the Chiefs). During Kamehameha V's reign it was changed to Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace, after his brother Kamehameha IV's given names (his full name was Alexander Liholiho Keawenui Шаблон:OkinaIolani). It literally means "royal hawk." The Palace served as the official residence of the monarch during the reigns of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, Lunalilo, and the first part of Kalākaua's reign. The original structure was very simple in design and was more of a stately home than a palace, but at the time, it was the grandest house in town.

Theodore Heuck, who had earlier designed the new Mausoleum, designed a building called Шаблон:OkinaIolani Barracks, completed in 1871, to house the royal guards. Over time the other houses on the grounds were removed and replaced with grass lawns.

Second Palace

King Kamehameha V envisioned a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state. He commissioned the construction of AliШаблон:Okinaiōlani Hale to be the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy. The building was constructed across the street from the original Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace structure. It was named after himself (his full name was Lot Kapuaiwa Kalanikupuapaikalaninui AliШаблон:Okinaiolani Kalanimakua) it means "House of the heavenly King". At the time, HawaiШаблон:Okinai sorely needed a government building, since the government buildings of the time were small and cramped. Ultimately, AliШаблон:Okinaiōlani Hale became an administrative building instead of a palace, housing the judiciary of the Kingdom of HawaiШаблон:Okinai and various other ministries.

By the time David Kalākaua assumed the throne, the original Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace was in poor condition, suffering from ground termite damage. He ordered the old palace to be razed.

Kalākaua was the first monarch to travel around the world. While visiting Europe, he took note of the grand palaces owned by other monarchs. Like Kamehameha V, he dreamed of a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state such as HawaiШаблон:Okinai. He commissioned the construction a new Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace, directly across the street from AliШаблон:Okinaiōlani Hale, to become the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy.

Thomas J. Baker designed the structure, Charles J. Wall added details, and architect Isaac Moore. The cornerstone was laid December 31, 1879 during the administration of Minister of the Interior Samuel Gardner Wilder.Шаблон:Rp It was built of brick with concrete facing. The building was completed in November 1882 and cost over $340,000 — a vast fortune at the time. It measures about Шаблон:Convert by Шаблон:Convert, and rises two stories over a raised basement to Шаблон:Convert high. It has four corner towers and two in the center rising to Шаблон:Convert. On February 12, 1883 a formal European-style coronation ceremony was held, even though Kalākaua had reigned for 9 years. The coronation pavilion was later moved to the southwest corner of the grounds and converted to a bandstand for the Royal Hawaiian Band.

Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace features architecture seen nowhere else in the world. This unique style is known as American Florentine. On the first floor a grand hall faces a staircase of koa wood. Ornamental plaster decorates the interior. The throne room (southeast corner), the blue meeting room, and the dining room adjoin the hall. The blue room included a large 1848 portrait of King Louis Philippe of France and a koa wood piano where LiliШаблон:Okinauokalani played her compositions for guests. Upstairs are the private library and bedrooms of the Hawaiian monarchs. It had electricity and telephones even before the White House.

It served as the official residence of the Hawaiian monarch until the 1893 overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Beside LiliШаблон:Okinauokalani, Queen KapiШаблон:Okinaolani and other royal retainers were evicted from the palace after the overthrow.

Executive Building

Upon the overthrow of the monarchy by the Committee of Safety in 1893, troops of the newly formed Provisional Government of HawaiШаблон:Okinai took control of Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace. After a few months government offices moved in and it was renamed the "Executive Building" for the Republic of HawaiШаблон:Okinai. Government officials carefully inventoried its contents and sold at public auctions whatever furniture or furnishings were not suitable for government operations. Queen LiliШаблон:Okinauokalani was imprisoned for nine months in a small room on the upper floor after the second of the Wilcox rebellions in 1895. The quilt she made is still there. The trial was held in the former throne room.

When a proposed annexation treaty up for ratification, the Hawaiian Patriotic League held a protest rally at the palace on September 6, 1897. They gathered petition signatures in an effort to demonstrate the treaty did not have popular support. On August 12, 1898 US troops from the Шаблон:USS came ashore and raised the Flag of the United States at the palace to mark the annexation by the Newlands Resolution. The Queen and other Hawaiian nobles did not attend, staying at Washington Place instead. The building served as the capitol of the Territory of HawaiШаблон:Okinai, the military headquarters during World War II, and the State of HawaiШаблон:Okinai.During the government use of the palace, the second floor royal bedroom became the governor's office, while the legislature occupied the entire first floor. The representatives met in the former throne room and the senate in the former dining room.

Archives

After annexation, there was a fear that all records would be moved to the mainland. Since an 1847 effort by Robert Crichton Wyllie, a set of archives had been kept of all kingdom records. A new fireproof building was built in 1906 on the grounds just to the southeast of the palace. It included a vault Шаблон:Convert by Шаблон:Convert with steel shelves. At first it was to be called the Hall of Records, but the name Archives of Hawaii made it clear the documents included those from the kingdom. A new Kekāuluohi building provides digital access to some of the collections.

Palace Restoration

In 1930 the interior of Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace was remodeled, and wood framing replaced by steel and reinforced concrete. The name Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace was officially restored in 1935. During World War II, it served as the temporary headquarters for the military governor in charge of martial law in the Hawaiian Islands.

The Hawaiian soldiers of Japanese ancestry who were accepted for service in the US Army became the core of the 442nd Infantry Regiment. Before leaving Hawaii for training on the mainland, they were sworn in during a mass ceremony on the grounds of the Palace.

Through more than 70 years as a functional but neglected government building, the Palace fell into disrepair. After Hawaii became a state, Governor John A. Burns began an effort to restore the palace in the 1960s. The first step was to move the former Шаблон:OkinaIolani Barracks building from its original position northeast of the palace. It now serves as a visitors center for the palace.

Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 29, 1962 and added as site 66000293 to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu on October 15, 1966. Government offices vacated the Palace in 1969 and moved to the newly constructed Hawaii State Capitol building on the former barracks site. In preparation for restoration, the Junior League of Honolulu researched construction, furnishings, and palace lifestyle in nineteenth-century newspapers, photographs and archival manuscripts. Overseeing the restoration was The Friends of Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace, founded by LiliШаблон:Okinauokalani Kawānanakoa Morris, grand-niece of Queen KapiШаблон:Okinaolani. Two wooden additions were removed and the interior was restored based on original plans.

Through the efforts of acquisitions researchers and professional museum staff, and donations of individuals, many original Palace objects have been returned. Government grants and private donations funded reproduction of original fabrics and finishes to restore Palace rooms to their monarchy era appearance. Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace opened to the public in 1978 after structural restoration of the building was completed. In the basement is a photographic display of the Palace, the Hawaiian crown jewels, orders and decorations given by the monarchs, and regalia worn by the high chiefs of the islands.

The grounds of Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace are managed by the HawaiШаблон:Okinai State Department of Land and Natural Resources but the palace building itself is managed as a historical house museum by the Friends of Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace, a non-profit non-governmental organization. The birthdays of King Kalākaua (November 16) and Queen KapiШаблон:Okinaolani (December 28) are celebrated with ceremonies.

Recent events

On January 17, 1993, a massive observation was held on the grounds of Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace to mark the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. A torchlight vigil was held at night, with the palace draped in black.

On April 30, 2008, Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace was overtaken by a group of native Hawaiians who called themselves the Hawaiian Kingdom Government to protest what they view as illegitimate rule by the United States. Mahealani Kahau, "head of state" of the group, said they do not recognize HawaiШаблон:Okinai as a U.S. state, but would keep the occupation of the palace peaceful. "The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is here and it doesn't plan to leave. This is a continuity of the Hawaiian Kingdom of 1892 to today," Kahau said.

In response, the Friends of Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace released a statement that while they "respect the freedom of Hawaiian groups to hold an opinion on the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, we believe that blocking public access to Iolani Palace is wrong and certainly detrimental to our mission to share the Palace and its history with our residents, our keiki (children), and our visitors." The statement clarified that the original seat of government of the Hawaiian Kingdom was not Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace. The Palace was used as the royal residence while government activities were carried out in the original courthouse (now demolished) and later in AliШаблон:Okinaiolani Hale.

In fiction

The fictional TV series, Hawaii Five-O, had state police headquarters based in Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace. Fans of the series are led to believe that the office of the leader of the fictional state police force, Steve McGarrett, is located in the upper right corner (when viewed from outside). The 1968-1980 police drama, in fact, was filmed on location in Hawaii, and many scenes were filmed in the Iolani Palace. Шаблон:OkinaIolani Palace plays a significant role in the Harry Turtledove books Days of Infamy and End of the Beginning as the seat of the Japanese puppet government of HawaiШаблон:Okinai. A movie titled Princess Kaiulani about Princess KaШаблон:Okinaiulani was filmed at the palace in 2008. A fictional character claiming to work for the ʻIolani Palace restoration project and trying to recover presents Queen KapiШаблон:Okinaolani gave to Boston residents on her stay there in 1887 plays a significant role in Charlotte MacLeod's detective fiction The Withdrawing Room (1981).Шаблон:Citation needed

Images

Шаблон:Image gallery

External links

Шаблон:Commonscat

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Tips & Hints
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Hareesh Nuthi
16 March 2014
Sunday it's closed, recommended to have a audio tour before 12PM and allow atleast one hour explore ground and first floor.. You also have basement showing collections of jewelry and swords (15min)
Nate Richards
29 May 2013
This was my first-ever audio tour (I always thought people looked silly with them). But it was great. Listening to the narration and sounds of the period really enhanced the visit!
The Wall Street Journal
Serves as a cultural repository for some of the most beautiful and striking objects in Hawaiian history (including a donated 13.88-carat diamond ring that once twinkled from King Kalakaua's pinky).
Lynette Eugenio
31 October 2018
If you want to learn more about Hawaii's rich history, this is the place to go. I recommend the guided tour as they're very knowledgeable and in-depth. Take time to also walk the beautiful grounds.
Nate S
20 May 2022
Take the self-guided audio tour. Depending on how interested in history you budget 30-90 mins inside. Chock full of Hawaiian history (1778-1893) then leading to US territory/statehood!
Carl Figueiredo
24 April 2015
Fantastic view into the sovereign kingdom of Hawai'i. A must see for anyone looking for more perspective and context to modern Hawai'i
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Map
364 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA Get directions
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Mon-Wed 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thu 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
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