Royal Mausoleum
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The main building is now a chapel
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Location | 2261 Nuʻuanu Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii |
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Coordinates | 21°19′30″N 157°50′50″W / 21.32500°N 157.84722°WCoordinates: 21°19′30″N 157°50′50″W / 21.32500°N 157.84722°W |
Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
Built | 1863 |
Architect | Theodore C. Heuck |
Architectural style | Gothic |
NRHP Reference # | 72000422 |
Added to NRHP | August 7, 1972 |
The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii, known as Mauna ʻAla (Fragrant Hills) in the Hawaiian language, is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.
The site is located at 2261 Nuʻuanu Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu, coordinates 21°19′30″N 157°50′50″W / 21.32500°N 157.84722°W. The grounds of the mausoleum are surrounded by a black fence, bearing the royal seal of the Kingdom of Hawaii at the gate. A small chapel is located near the center, immediately behind the tomb of Kalākaua and his family, and to the right of the Kamehameha tomb, Bishop Monument, and Wyllie tomb. The chapel, in the shape of a Latin cross, is one of the few examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the islands.
The 2.7 acre (11,000 m2) mausoleum was designed by architect Theodore Heuck. King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma planned it as a burial site for their four-year-old son, Prince Albert, who died August 27, 1862. King Kamehameha IV became ill soon afterwards and died November 30, 1863, just 15 months after his son. His brother Lot Kamehameha came to the throne as King Kamehameha V.
Immediately Kamehameha V started construction of the mausoleum building. The Right Reverend Thomas Nettleship Staley, first Anglican Bishop of Honolulu (1823–1898), oversaw construction. The west ('Ewa) wing was completed at the end of January 1864. A large funeral procession February 3, 1864, brought the body of Kamehameha IV from ʻIolani Palace near Kawaiahaʻo Church. His casket was placed on a stand in the new wing. Later in the evening, bearers brought the casket of Ka Haku o Hawai'i (as Prince Albert was known) and laid him to rest alongside his father. Queen Emma was so overcome with grief that she camped on the grounds of Mauna ʻAla, and slept in the mausoleum.