Kona Coffee Living History Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Uchida Coffee Farm
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Historic coffee mill
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 Location in Hawaii
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| Location | Kona District, Hawaii |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1913 |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001621 |
| Added to NRHP | February 9, 1995 |
The Kona Coffee Living History Farm is a special place in Kona District. It's on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. This farm is also known as the Daisaku Uchida Coffee Farm. It was started in 1900 and covers about 5.5-acre (22,000 m2) of land.
This farm is an open-air museum. It shows what daily life was like for early Japanese immigrants. They lived and worked here between 1920 and 1945. The farm is located near Captain Cook. This area was traditionally called Kealakekua.
Farm History
The farm was owned by Daisaku Uchida. He came to Hawaii from southern Japan when he was 19. This was on September 27, 1906. First, he worked for three years on a sugarcane plantation. This was at Līhuʻe Plantation on Kauaʻi. After his contract ended, Daisaku moved to the Kona District.
Many Japanese workers came to Hawaii between 1868 and 1924. Over 140,000 people arrived with labor contracts. They worked on sugar plantations. Like Daisaku, many chose to start their own family businesses. They did this once their work contracts were finished.
In 1912, Daisaku married his cousin, Shima Maruo. They moved to this farm in 1913. They made the farm and house bigger in 1925. The land belonged to the Greenwell family. Henry Nicholas Greenwell had been involved in the coffee business there since the 1870s.
The Uchida family lived on the farm for a long time. Shima passed away in 1966 when she was 73. Daisaku lived until 1986, reaching the age of 99. Three of their children were born in the original house. Three more were born in the new house after 1925. Their oldest son, Masao Uchida, also farmed the property. He and his wife, Masako, retired to Honolulu in 1994.
Saving the Farm
The family's long-term land agreement ended. The land was planned to become new houses. But the farm had never been changed or modernized. So, it was given to the Kona Historical Society. This saved it from being redeveloped.
Visiting the Museum
The living history museum lets you explore on your own. You can see the coffee trees, the farmhouse, and the coffee mill. There is a special kiosk for visitors. You can also take a full tour with guides. These guides wear costumes from the past. They work for the Kona Historical Society. There is a fee to take the tour.
The farm is a very important historical site. It was added to the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1994. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii on February 9, 1995.
The original Greenwell Store is also a historic building. It houses the Historical Society's offices. Both the farm and the store are on the Mamalahoa Highway. This road is also known as the Hawaii Belt Road.
See also
- Coffee production in Hawaii
- Coffee processing
- Open-air museum
