×

Preserving the past

Neighbors: Profiles of our community

As executive director of Hale Ho‘ike‘ike at the Bailey House, Sissy Lake-Farm helps keep Maui’s past alive. Once known as the Bailey House Museum, the facility was recently renamed to incorporate its original name dating back to the 1950s while continuing to honor missionary teachers Edward and Caroline Bailey. Hale Ho‘ike‘ike means “house of display.” Photo courtesy Sissy Lake-Farm

When Sissy Lake-Farm took the helm as executive director of Hale Ho’ike’ike at the Bailey House five years ago, she says it felt like she was coming home.

And in a way, she was: The mission home-turned-museum in Wailuku was built on what was once the royal compound of Kahekili, Maui’s last ruling chief — and Lake-Farm’s ancestor.

Hale Ho’ike’ike (“House of Display”) is the former residence of missionary teachers Edward and Caroline Bailey and one of the first Western-style buildings in Hawaii. It was constructed in 1833 by the Rev. Jonathan Green and his wife, Theodosia, who opened the Wailuku Female Seminary on the grounds of the property in 1837. In 1844, Edward Bailey took over as headmaster until the school closed in the mid-1850s; he and his family remained in the home until 1888. The house was eventually acquired by the Wailuku Sugar Co.; it changed hands a number of times until the Maui Historical Society opened Hale Ho’ike’ike as a museum in 1957.

Today, it is home to Maui’s largest collection of pre-contact Hawaiian artifacts, as well as 19th century missionary artifacts, furniture and artwork. Behind the scenes, the Maui Historical Society operates an archival resource center at the museum that includes more than 10,000 historic photographs, in addition to maps, manuscripts, documents, biographies, genealogy records and more than 2,000 rare objects. Lake-Farm says assuming responsibility for the museum’s collection has been the honor of a lifetime.

“We are preserving things that could potentially be lost, things that could be gone forever,” she said.

Lake-Farm was born and raised on Oahu, but her family’s Maui roots run deep. Apart from her ancestral ties to Kahekili, her father, the renowned kumu hula John Keola Lake, grew up in Lahaina. Lake-Farm — who followed in her father’s footsteps as a kumu hula and Hawaiian cultural practitioner — spent her childhood summers on the Valley Isle.

After earning degrees in English and interior design from Chaminade University of Honolulu, Lake-Farm brought her aesthetic talents to several household-name retailers. She moved to Maui in 2001, and two years later, founded a halau, Na Hanona Kulike ‘O Pi’ilani, with her brother and fellow kumu hula, Kapono’ai Molitau.

In 2014, Lake-Farm learned the Maui Historical Society was searching for someone to take the reins at Hale Ho’ike’ike at the Bailey House. Lake-Farm had visited the museum on several occasions, and says she fell in love with it instantly. So, she decided to apply for the position, and soon after was settling in as the newly minted executive director.

Lake-Farm embraced her new role with energy and passion. At the top of her to-do list? Building a culture of participation.

“I wanted to shake off the dust and make this place open and welcoming to the community,” she explained. “I wanted people to know what it is and what it has to offer.”

Mission accomplished: Today, the museum is more than a repository for cultural and historical treasures; it is also a gathering place where residents and visitors can take part in hands-on workshops, presentations, concerts and other community events.

In 2017, Lake-Farm and the Maui Historical Society’s board of trustees debuted the E Pulama Mau Ia Maui exhibition series. Since then, the biannual series has showcased original artwork and never-seen-before items from the museum’s archives; the thematic exhibits are paired with corresponding events, lectures and workshops. The exhibitions vary, but all are fascinating, thought-provoking and more often than not, chicken skin-inducing. The current exhibit is no exception.

Last year, Maui-based artist Avi Molinas paid a visit to Lake-Farm. He unveiled something that took her breath away: 24 original portraits of Hawaii’s ali’i (royalty) through the ages. The exhibit, titled “Na Aloha Aina,” opened in January and will be on display in the museum’s exhibition hall through the end of May.

When she’s not overseeing the museum’s day-to-day operations, you might find Lake-Farm showing antiquities to awestruck 4th-graders, mentoring student interns, or fielding history- and culture-related inquiries. She and the museum staff do quite a bit of detective work — tracking down genealogical records, combing through old documents, and evaluating potential artifact acquisitions. It’s all in a day’s work, Lake-Farm says, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

In fact, looking back on it now, Lake-Farm says she couldn’t imagine a more perfect career — and she’s exactly where she needs to be.

“I’m doing something I love and I’m contributing to the greater good of our community,” she said. “This is more than a job. . . . It’s a passion.”

Are you a history buff, genealogical sleuth — or do you have a knack for sharing information with others? Lake-Farm says volunteers are always needed to lend a hand in the museum, gift shop and archives department. To learn more about volunteer, donor or internship opportunities, call 244-3326, email info@mauimuseum.org or visit www.mauimuseum.org.

Hale Ho’ike’ike at the Bailey House is located at 2375-A Main St. in Wailuku. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Cost of admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors (ages 60 and over); $5 for kama’aina; $2 for kids ages 7 to 12; free for kids ages 6 and under. The “Na Aloha Aina” exhibit runs through May 31.

* Sarah Ruppenthal is a Maui-based writer. Do you have an interesting neighbor? Tell us about them at missruppenthal@gmail.com. “Neighbors” and “The State of Aloha,” written by Ben Lowenthal, alternate Fridays.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
     
Support Local Journalism on Maui

Only $99/year

Subscribe Today