What the Historic Town of Lāhainā, the Maui Town Affected by the Wildfires, Means to Its Residents

11.08.2023 - 16:57 / travelandleisure.com

Travelers who have visited the historic town of Lāhainā on Maui’s western coast might reminisce fondly of sitting under the banyan tree enjoying the tradewinds, walking in and out of the shops down Front Street, taking in the ocean views from the harbor or eating an ice cream cone from Lappert’s in the sunshine.

While the beloved coastal town plays host to more than two and a half million tourists who visit Maui annually, Lāhainā is home to more than 12,000 residents and has a past deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture.

Earlier this week, the town, which once served as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was decimated to ash and rubble due to tragic wildfires, as seen in satellite images shared by Maxar Technologies.

For Native Hawaiians, Lāhainā serves as a portal to their past.

“If you start from one end of Front Street and walk to the other end, it’s like a physical timeline of the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom,” Kaniela Ing, a former Hawaii state representative, told NBC News, of the famous street lined with restaurants, shops and other buildings that serve as reminders of the town’s deep roots. “You can actually see the flow in the buildings stemming back 150 or more years. It’s remarkable and just the thought that that history may have been lost in this fire or any bit of that history is heartbreaking."

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Originally settled by Polynesion voyagers, Hawaii was unified as a single kingdom by King Kamehameha I in 1795, controlling all of the islands except two. 

“Kauai and Niʻihau did not come under his rule until 1810,” Davianna McGregor, a retired professor of ethnic studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, told Travel + Leisure.

According to Lāhainā’s official website, King Kamehameha I established Lāhainā as the capital of Hawaii Kingdom in 1802 (this differs from the National Park Service’s record of 1820) and built a palace, as well as other royal buildings, in the town, creating a political center for the Islands.

Dr. Ty Kāwika Tengan, professor of anthropology and ethnic studies at University of Hawaii at Manoa with a focus in pre colonial and contemporary Hawaiian society, says that in addition to being the Kingdom’s capital, Lāhainā served as a religious and spiritual focal point.

“It was traditionally a center for chiefly mana, which is our term for spiritual power and authority,” Tengan told T+L of Lāhainā, adding that that area was also significant for being connected with the first major school, Lāhaināluna, as well as the seminary. “It also has a very deep history of establishing the first printing press (and) helping to be the intellectual source for generations of Hawaiians during the Kingdom and even to this day.”

Thanks to its seaport access and position along