Quakes damaged palace's structure, contents
By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Huge chunks of plaster and molding fell from the walls and ceilings of Hulihe'e Palace during Sunday's earthquakes.
The shaking caused Princess Ruth's portable writing desk to fall and break. A koa calabash bowl also fell and chipped.
Falling plaster crashed onto Queen Kapi'olani's writing desk.
"We didn't fare too well," palace administrator Fanny AuHoy said.
The two-story palace, a state and national historic landmark in Kailua, Kona, is home to Hawaiian artifacts dating to pre-contact days and was a gathering place for Hawaiian royalty.
Now, each of its six rooms has some form of damage. Four sustained "extensive damage," AuHoy said.
Last night, the front entrance was blocked off with tape, and the entryway was covered with debris.
Above the window to the left of the front door, chunks of plaster are missing, exposing the inner wall.
The wall around the door frame is cracked, and numerous cracks can be seen in the front and side walls of the palace exterior.
The palace normally welcomes 300 to 500 visitors per day but closed yesterday and will remain closed today until a structural engineer can determine whether the two quakes caused more serious damage, AuHoy said.
The palace was one of several historic structures on the Big Island that National Park Service staff, members of the state Historic Preservation Division and everyday residents have reported as being damaged, according to Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of the Historic Hawai'i Foundation, which is collecting the sightings.
"We are relieved that there was no loss of life due to the quake and we join in the community's concern for damage to historic structures," Faulkner said. "We have received reports of damage to heiau and rock walls that are centuries old, as well as other homes and buildings that have been part of community life for decades."
Other buildings and structures reportedly damaged include:
An ancient Big Island navigational canoe heiau located about a mile south of Kona also was destroyed by Sunday's earthquakes.
"I was devastated when I saw it," said Jo-Anne Kahanamoku, curator of the Kealakowa'a heiau built by chief Umi Ai Liloa in the 16th century.
Kahanamoku said the dry-stacked walls, 14 feet tall in some areas, had collapsed. The heiau is off Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway at the end of Kuakini Road, and the one-acre site was used as an educational resource. Kahanamoku said the heiau will be restored but likely with lower walls.
Even though structures may have suffered significant damage, Faulkner said, the Historic Hawai'i Foundation can help building owners assess damage and make cost estimates to repair them.
In many cases, she said, it can be cheaper to make repairs than demolish a structure.
"We urge people to consult with qualified preservation professionals when undertaking repairs and to avoid demolition until the structures can be assessed," Faulkner said. "West Hawai'i's historic places are important to present and future generations and should not be carelessly discarded prior to exploring all possible ways to save them."
The Historic Hawaii Foundation consults with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, State Historic Preservation Division and National Park Service on working with property owners on assessing and saving historic structures.
To report damage to historic structures, e-mail preservation@historichawaii.org.
Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.
