Lahaina Court & Custom House - Lahaina, Hawaii
Posted by: 
elyob
N 20° 52.320 W 156° 40.685
4Q E 741569 N 2309726
Sign is northwest of court house.
Waymark Code: WMNVAD
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 05/05/2015
Views: 9
This sign is part of the Lahaina Historic Trail.
The Lahaina Court & Custom House was first built in 1859 with the remains of Hale Piula, the unfinished coral palace of King Kamehameha III. From its opening in 1860, it served as a custom house for the whaling and trade ships and a center for government offices during the Monarchy period. 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.
Renovated in 1925, Old Lahaina Courthouse was used as a courtroom, tax and post offices, police station and jail until the 1970s when the Lahaina Civic Center was constructed. Having fallen into disrepair, the courthouse underwent renovations in 1998 and has been restored to its 1920's grandeur. It is now home to the Lahaina Visitor Center, Lahaina Arts Society, Lahaina Restoration Foundation's museum and Lahaina Town Action Committee's offices.