State official says community needs time to decide future of Lahaina’s Historic District

This image shows the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District as featured in the Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan. Photo courtesy Maui County
Jessica Puff leads the Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources’ State Historic Preservation Division where she’s spent the past year learning about Lahaina’s historic district from the community and what their hopes are moving forward.
She said, after receiving community input, the message was clear — residents want more protection for historic areas in West Maui.
Lahaina was designated a National Historic Landmark District on Dec. 29, 1962, for having “exceptional value and of national significance in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United States.” With significant artifacts and locations related to Hawaiian history and historic structures such as the Baldwin House, the oldest building standing on Maui prior to the fire on Aug. 8, 2023, the area symbolizes the uniqueness and significance of Maui’s former capital.
Puff said much damage was done from the fire, but the essence of the historic landmark district lives on.
“There’s a spirit,” she said. “There’s the feeling. There’s the history. There’s the land that’s all still there and holds that same significance to us that hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s just badly hurt.”
Puff said she and others involved in historic preservation were cautious when describing just how much damage was done from the wildfire. Their caution, she said, stemmed from fear of public misperception or even compromising the status of the area.
“One of our big concerns in the days and the weeks after the fire, and immediately following that, is there were people from Hawai’i, there were people from the continent, there were other preservation professionals on social media, everything from Facebook to Instagram to LinkedIn making suggestions that the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District was gone,” she said.
But it’s not gone, she said, just damaged, and now the state, county and various nonprofits and organizations such as the Lahaina Restoration Foundation and more are working to keep the rich history of Lahaina alive, heal the area and even expand on it.
Currently, the district was recognized for the whaling era and the missionary period, Puff said, and there’s a lot of history not included under the landmark district to date. She said that with the rebuild, they now have a chance to properly recognize the moʻolelo (story) of the place.
“The nomination, when it’s time, should not only include the history of the fire, but it should also be reassessed to include this other history,” she said.
According to Lahaina’s Long-Term Recovery Plan, under the National Historic Landmark District Update, updating the district to include other important parts of the area’s history was supported even before the fire.
Now, that effort is becoming “increasingly important to determine the integrity status.” The plan estimated that portion to cost around $500,000 to $1 million and be completed in one to two years.
Theo Morrison, executive director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, said efforts are underway to bring the area back to life.
“The idea is to rebuild it on the same footprint in the same style,” she said.
Morrison also said efforts are underway to make sure the rebuild is constructed in a safe manner.
“The idea is to build back better,” she said.
Currently, there’s funding for preservation that individuals and nonprofits may apply for called the historic preservation fund, Puff said.
Puff added that the office is also looking for more funding. In the meantime, Puff said they are continuing to work with Maui residents to support their needs.
“We needed to give the community time,” she said. “What happens to the National Historic Landmark District is up to the community.”
For more information, visit dlnr.hawaii.gov/shpd/hawaiʻi-cultural-resource-information-system.