Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives facts for kids
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| Established | 1920 |
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| Location | 553 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii |
The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a special place. It was started in 1920 by a group called the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society. This happened 100 years after the first Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaiʻi. The Mission Houses, along with Kawaiahaʻo Church, are very important. In 1962, they were named a U.S. National Historic Landmark. This means they are recognized as a significant part of American history.
The Hawaiian Mission Houses collects and protects old documents and items. These items tell the story of Hawaii's "missionary" period, from about 1820 to 1863. They help people learn about this time through exhibits and research. The collection has over 3,000 items from Hawaii, the West, and the Pacific. It also holds more than 12,000 books, letters, diaries, and church records.
The Hawaiian Mission Houses is also working to digitize its collection. After the big fire in Lāhainā in 2023, they uploaded many items. These included photos, journals, and letters about Lāhainā's history. This helps with the future recovery of the historic town.
Contents
Historic Mission Houses
The buildings at the Mission Houses show how missionaries from New England adapted. They learned to live with Hawaii's climate, culture, and local building materials.
The Oldest Frame House
The materials for the Oldest Frame House (Ka Hale Lāʻau, meaning 'the wood house') came by ship. They sailed all the way around Cape Horn from Boston in 1821. The wood was already cut and ready to build a house. It was designed for New England's cold weather. This meant small windows to keep heat inside and short roof edges to avoid snow damage.
This house was mainly home to Daniel Chamberlain's family of seven. But it often housed up to five other missionary families. Sometimes, sick sailors or orphans also stayed there. The small living room was used as a school. The basement served as the dining area. The kitchen was in a separate building.
The Chamberlain House
The Chamberlain House (Ka Hale Kamalani) was built in 1831. It was made from local materials. Workers cut coral blocks from the reefs offshore. They also used lumber salvaged from ships. Levi Chamberlain, who managed the mission's supplies, designed it. It was built to hold supplies and people. It had two stories, an attic, and a cellar. This house had larger windows, more of them, and shutters to block the sun. Today, this building is the main exhibit hall for the Museum.
The Print House
In 1841, a covered porch and balcony were added to the frame house. An extra bedroom was also built next door using coral blocks. Both of these additions show how people adapted to an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. This way of living was perfect for Hawaii's climate. The extra coral building later became the mission's Print House (Ka Hale Paʻi). Now, it is a museum exhibit. It shows how missionaries and native Hawaiians worked together. They produced the first materials printed in the Hawaiian language.
Gallery
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The Oldest Frame House (Ka Hale Lāʻau 'the wood house'), built in 1821.
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The Chamberlain House (Ka Hale Kamalani), built in 1831.
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The Print House (Ka Hale Paʻi), added in 1841.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in Hawaii
