Old Lahaina Courthouse
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From its opening fanfare in 1860, the Lahaina Courthouse served as a customs house for whaling and trade ships as well as a center for government offices and court functions during the Monarchy period. Constructed between 1858-1859 on the site of the Old Fort, “Lahaina Court & Customs House” was built with coral block and other materials that came from Kamehameha III’s unfinished western palace (Hale Piula), which was destroyed during a fierce Kauaula wind.
The two-story wood facade building contained a post office and collector’s office, offices for the Governor of Maui, Sheriff and District Attorney as well as a courtroom. On August 12, 1898 when the Hawaiian Islands were officially annexed to the United States, Lahaina’s assistant postmaster oversaw the lowering of the red, white and blue banner of the Hawaiian Kingdom and watched the American flag being raised in its place over this courthouse.
In 1925, the courthouse was rebuilt with a new gabled roof, entrance and second floor balcony in the Greek Revival architectural style that you see today. The courtroom, judge and tax collector’s office were upstairs. The post office and police station were on the first floor, and the jail was in the basement. They remained in use until the 1970s when the Lahaina Civic Center was constructed.
See Images of the Old Lahaina Courthouse, Below
The County of Maui funded a major restoration to Old Lahaina Courthouse in 1998. Once renovations were completed, a management and maintenance agreement was executed between the County and Lahaina Restoration Foundation. The building is home to the Lahaina Visitor Center, Lahaina Arts Society galleries, and Lahaina Town Action Committee offices. In 2011-2013, NOAA and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation worked with Lahaina Restoration Foundation to renovate and reopen the Lahaina Heritage Museum upstairs with a new comprehensive exhibit, “Always Lahaina.” They also installed displays on the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and built a video theater downstairs.
The Old Lahaina Courthouse served Lahaina for many years and had a lot of history associated with it. There were numerous artifacts as well as a preserved courtroom with original furniture. This footage was taken on 7/28/2023.
