Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site
by Eric Peterson
Browse the article Puukohola Heiau National Historic SitePuukohola Heiau National Historic Site
History and legend come together at Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, which preserves the last major religious structure of the ancient Hawaiian culture built in the islands. According to legend, before Kamehameha was born, it was said that a "killer of chiefs" would appear one day. Hawaiian chiefs, fearing that the baby Kamehameha might be the prophesied one, tried to kill him, but his mother sent him away to safety. He grew up to be a feared warrior.
©Todd Hoare
Pu‘ukohola Heiau is one of the most famous heiau (temple) in the Hawaiian Islands
In 1782, he became ruler of the northwest half of the island of Hawaii and warred with other chiefs for control of all the islands. Eventually he had only one rival left, his cousin Keoua Ku'ahu'ula. A famous prophet told Kamehameha's aunt that he could conquer the whole island if he built a large temple to his family war god atop Puukohola, "the hill of the whale."
In 1790, Hawaiians began to build the massive temple platform without the use of mortar by setting lava rocks and boulders together. One year later, the temple was complete, and Kamehameha dedicated the temple by sacrificing his rival cousin to his war god. The prophecy was fulfilled in 1810, after years of war, when Kamehameha became ruler of all the Hawaiian Islands. After Kamehameha's death in 1819, his son abandoned the past religious ways and had the temple destroyed.
Visitors can reach the remains of Kamehameha's temple, as well as all other historical sites in the 83-acre park, on foot. The foundation of Puukohola measures 224 feet by 100 feet and has long narrow terrace steps across the side facing the sea so that people in canoes floating offshore could see the interior of the temple. The platform has survived major earthquakes over the years, but the walls are beginning to crumble, so visitors are no longer allowed to climb onto it.
On the hillside between Puukohola Heiau and the sea is the foundation of Mailekini Heiau -- all that remains of the temple used by Kamehameha's ancestors. The Hale-o-ka-puni Heiau, a temple to the shark god, is believed to be submerged just offshore of Puukohola. Nearby is the stone leaning post, where the high priest watched sharks circle about the temple before devouring his latest offering to them. Along the coast is Pelekane, the royal residence. It was here that Kamehameha's son, King Kamehameha II, prepared to rule all of the Hawaiian Islands.
In 1790, a British sailor named John Young was stranded on the island of Hawaii. In time, he became Kamehameha's trusted adviser. Kamehameha named him Olohana and eventually made him a chief. Olohana was governor of Hawaii from 1802 to 1812, at the same time serving as the king's business agent. His former home is just north of Puukohola Heiau. Little is left of the dwelling, but historians believe it was built of stone and mortar and was probably the first European-style house on the islands.
Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site Information
Address: 62-3601 Kawaihae Rd., Kawaihae, HI
Telephone: 808/882-7218
Hours of Operation: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Admission: Tours $2; visitor center free
Learn more about these other national historic sites:
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site Clara Barton National Historic SiteFort Larned National Historic Site
Grant Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
Adams National Historic Site
Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Hampton National Historic Site Lincoln Home National Historic Site Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site Edison National Historic Site Fort Scott National Historic Site Harry S. Truman National Historic Site Longfellow National Historic Site Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Thomas Stone National Historic Site Andrew Johnson National Historic Site Eisenhower National Historic Site Fort Smith National Historic Site Herbert Hoover National Historic Site Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site Thomas Stone National Historic Site Boston African -American National Historic Site Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site Manzanar National Historic Site
Saint-
Gaudens National Historic Site
Fort Davis National Historic Site Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Ninety Six National Historic Site Springfield Armory National Historic Site William Howard Taft National Historic Site Christian
-sted National Historic Site Fort Laramie National Historic Site Golden Spike National Historic Site John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site Steamtown National Historic Site
To learn more about national monuments, memorials, and historic sites, and other travel destinations in North America, visit:
- National Monuments: Learn more about America's national monuments.
- National Memorials: Discover national memorials in the U.S.
- National Historic Sites: Read about American national historic sites.
- Hawaii State Guide: Learn about Mobil Travel Guide-rated hotels and restaurants in Hawaii as well as other recreational activities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eric Peterson is a Denver-based author who has contributed to numerous guidebooks about the Western United States.