Waiola Church is the site of a historic mission established in 1823 on the island of

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. Originally called Wainee Church until 1953, the cemetery is the final resting place for early members of the royal family of the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...

History

The first mission to

was founded by Reverend

William Richards William, Bill, or Billy Richards may refer to: Sportspeople * Dicky Richards (William Henry Matthews Richards, 1862–1903), South African cricketer * Billy Richards (footballer, born 1874) (1874–1926), West Bromwich Albion football player * B ...

(1793–1847) in 1823. For a few years, temporary structures made from wooden poles with a thatched roof were used. In 1828, island Governor

Hoapili Ulumāheihei Hoapili (c. 1775 – January 3, 1840) was a member of the nobility during the formation of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was a trusted military and political advisor to King Kamehameha I, known as "Kamehameha the Great". Although trusted w ...

supported the building of a stone and wood structure. The Christian church was built adjacent to a pond surrounding an island called Mokuula, which was sacred to traditional

Hawaiian religion Hawaiian religion refers to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of native Hawaiians, also known as the kapu system. Hawaiian religion is based largely on the tapu religion common in Polynesia and likely originated among the Tahitia ...

and residence of the king. The first stone building was dedicated on March 4, 1832 and called Wainee Church. Rev. Ephraim Spaulding (1802–1840) joined with his wife Juliet Brooks (1810–1898) from 1832 to 1836. Rev. Dwight Baldwin transferred here in 1836, and served as physician, even though trained in theology. The Baldwins rebuilt the house of the Spaldings, which was kept in the family until 1967 when it was made into a museum. Wainee served as the church for the Hawaiian royal family during the time when Lahaina was the Kingdom's capital, from the 1820 through the mid-1840s. Several members of the royal family were reputedly buried in the cemetery. A notable aspect of the cemetery is that the missionaries and Native Hawaiians were buried side by side. Another building called ''Hale Halewai'' (meeting house) was built a few blocks to the northwest around the same time. In 1855 the congregation built a larger building, calling it ''Aloha Hale'', completed in 1858. It was built to celebrate how Baldwin had spared the population of Maui from the

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

epidemic of 1853. In 1859 the royal government added benches and desks and used it as a school. In 1862 the

Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i is the ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Church of the Anglican Communion in the United States encompassing the state of Hawaii. It is led by the Episcopal Bishop of Hawaii pastoring the Hawaii ...

used it temporarily. In 1894 a fire destroyed the church. A new one was built from donations by

Henry Perrine Baldwin Henry Perrine Baldwin (August 29, 1842 – July 8, 1911) was a businessman and politician on Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. He supervised the construction of the East Maui Irrigation System and co-founded Alexander & Baldwin, one of the " Big Fiv ...

, son of the original Baldwin pastor. In the 1950s a wind storm knocked down the bell tower of Hale Aloha and damaged the Wainee Church. A modern church structure was finished in 1953, when the name was changed to Waiola. The bell from the Hale Aloha tower was salvaged for the new church.

Today

The congregation is pastored by licensed minister Kahu Anela Rosa. Sunday services are at 9:00 a.m. Services are a mixture of Hawaiian and English language and song. If you want to know the full beauty of a hymn, hear it in Hawaiian. The congregation is affiliated with the Hawaii Conference of the

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately 4 ...

. It is located at 535 Wainee street,

Lahaina, Hawaii Lahaina ( haw, Lāhainā) is the largest census-designated place (CDP) in West Maui, Maui County, Hawaii, United States and includes the Kaanapali and Kapalua beach resorts. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a resident population of 12,702. La ...

. Hale Aloha was remodeled in 1908, but fell into disrepair, and was missing its roof a floor in 1973 when a restoration was begun by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. The structure was rebuilt by 1985, and stonework by 1992. A bell tower that was built in 1910 was also restored. A new bell was installed in the Hale Aloha tower in 2009. Hale Aloha is located on 600 Luakini Street. The church and Hale Aloha are two contributing properties of the

Lahaina Historic District Lahaina Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District encompassing most of the community of Lahaina, Hawaii, on the west side of the island of Maui in the US state of Hawaii. Designated in 1962, the district recognizes Lahaina for ...

, designated a

National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

on December 29, 1962.

Burials in the cemetery

The tombstones in the cemetery, with death dates: *

Keōpūolani Kalanikauikaalaneo Kai Keōpūolani-Ahu-i-Kekai-Makuahine-a-Kama-Kalani-Kau-i-Kealaneo (1778–1823) was a queen consort of Hawaii and the highest ranking wife of King Kamehameha I. Early life Keōpuolani was born around 1778 at an area known as ...

, September 16, 1823 * Kaumualii, May 26, 1824 (1825 on monument) * Nāhiʻenaʻena, December 30, 1836 * Liliha, August 25, 1839 * Ulumaheihei, also known as Hoapili, January 3, 1840 *

Kalākua Kaheiheimālie Kalākua Kaheiheimālie, later known as Hoapili Wahine (–1842) was a member of Hawaiian royalty who was one of the Queen consorts at the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She was mother of another Queen consort, and grandmother of two future ki ...

, also known as Hoapili Wahine, January 16, 1842 *

Kekauʻōnohi Keahikuni Kekauʻōnohi (c. 1805–1851) was a Hawaiian high chiefess who was a member of the House of Kamehameha. She was granddaughter to King Kamehameha I and one of the wives of Kamehameha II. Her Christian name is disputed; it is given as Mik ...

, granddaughter of

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. T ...

, 2 June 1847 *

, November 7, 1847

Gallery

Image:Maui-Lahaina-WaiolaCemetery-Kaumualii.JPG, Tombstone for Kaumualii Image:Maui-Lahaina-Waiola-Hawaiianroyalgravestone.JPG, Tombstone for

Nahienaena Harriet or Harrieta Keōpūolani Nāhiʻenaʻena (1815–1836) was a high-ranking princess during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the conversion of some of the ruling class to Christianity. Life In the Hawaiian language ''nā ahi ʻe ...

, Liliha, Ulumaheihei,

, Kekauonohinui Image:Maui-Lahaina-Waiola-bricktomb.JPG, Brick grave marker Image:Maui-Lahaina-Waiola-grave&mtns.JPG, Mountain view from cemetery

References

{{NRHP in Maui, Hawaii Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii United Church of Christ churches in Hawaii Religious buildings and structures in Maui County, Hawaii Churches completed in 1832 Churches completed in 1953 Historic district contributing properties in Hawaii Lahaina, Hawaii 1823 establishments in Hawaii National Register of Historic Places in Maui County, Hawaii Burial sites of Hawaiian royal houses