Kalakaua Park
Kalākaua Park is the central "town square" of the city of Hilo, Hawaii. It is surrounded by historic buildings and includes a war memorial.
The area was originally the site of the first Christian Mission in the area known as Waiakea Mission Station-Hilo Station in 1825. Later it evolved into the equivalent of a New England town square, surrounded by important civic buildings, such as the District Courthouse and Police Station, and the U.S. Post Office and Office Building.
After the annexation of Territory of Hawaii in 1898, the United States government needed to build a Federal office building, in Hilo, the second-largest city in the territory. However, funds were not available until 1913. Designed to include the post office at the time, it was built on the square from 1915 to 1917. It was designed by Henry D. Whitfield, who was Andrew Carnegie's brother-in-law. It was in the Mediterranean neoclassic style with some modern touches such as open circulation with a large arcade. Unusual for Hawaii, it had a full basement, a raised first floor with high ceilings for the post office, a second floor for Federal court functions, and a clerestory band of oriel windows above the courtroom for natural lighting.
In 1936, an addition in a similar style of was designed by Louis A. Simon to result in a "U" shape with two three-story wings. These were opened in 1938. The courtyard contains a flag pole, a mosaic-tiled fountain, and two decorative urns. In 1978 most postal functions moved to a new building. In a 1979 interior renovation, the courthouse was converted to federal office space.
The park was named in honor of King David Kalākaua who ruled the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1874 to 1891, often called the "Merrie Monarch" because of his revival of Ancient Hawaiian song and dance. The Merrie Monarch Festival is a major cultural event held annually in Hilo. He dedicated the park around 1877. It is located at 19°43′31″N 155°05′19″W / 19.72528°N 155.08861°WCoordinates: 19°43′31″N 155°05′19″W / 19.72528°N 155.08861°W, between Waianuenue Avenue and Kalakaua Street, and Kinoʻole Street and Keawe Street. Kinoʻole Street, originally Pitman Street, was named for Kinoʻole o Liliha Pitman. A bronze statue of Kalākaua in the middle of the park holds a taro leaf and ipu (gourd used in ancient chants). A time capsule was buried in 1991 during a total solar eclipse, to be opened in the next one to be visible here.
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