First Missionaries in Lahaina - 50 years - Lahaina, Maui, HI
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denben
N 20° 52.312 W 156° 40.657
4Q E 741617 N 2309712
Lahaina famous Banyan Tree was planted in 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first American Protestant mission in Lahaina.
Waymark Code: WMR70J
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 05/19/2016
Views: 1
In late May 1823 Reverends William Richards and Charles Stewart and their wives from the Congregational and Presbyterian American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) opened a mission at Lahaina at the invitation of Queen Ka'ahumanu. Richards was permitted to build a stone house on the present site of Campbell Park in downtown Lahaina.
Probably the most famous landmark in Lahaina – the Banyan Tree was planted in 1873 by Sheriff William Owen Smith to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first American Protestant mission in Lahaina. The tree was brought from India, and was only 8 feet high at the time of planting. It now has a dozen main trunks, and spreads over two-thirds of an acre. The Banyan Tree is noteworthy for its size. It has grown by dropping roots from its branches that then become additional trunks. Celebrated each year the third weekend in April the festivities include a birthday cake, live music, silent auction, Maui artists, and more. It is currently the largest banyan tree in Hawaii and one of the largest banyan trees in the United States.
The tree faces several threats, including soil compaction from foot and vehicle traffic due to tourism and special events in the park, drought, and the interruption of irrigation due to courthouse renovation. New restrictions were imposed in 2000 after the health of the tree began to decline. Common myna birds (Acridotheres tristis) roost in the branches of the tree at sunset, causing a cacophony of bird cries as the evening approaches.
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