The Lahaina Fort, a historic fort, facing the Lahaina Harbor, was located in Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii, of which the reconstructed part is now seen at the southern corner of the Lahaina Banyan Court Park. Christian Missionaries enforced law to prevent whalers and sailors from creating moral degradation in the town by drinking and debauchery. The embittered whalers and sailors caused rioting several times and tried to harm the missionaries. Following these incidents, the fort was then built at the initiative of Queen Kaʻahumanu (1768–1832) the then regent of Kuhina Nui to quell disturbances to the people of Lahaina from the ship whalers. Ulumāheihei Hoapili (1775–1840), the Governor of Maui got it built in a month. Lahaina Fort was demolished in 1854. However, in 1964, the State Parks Department reconstructed a part of old fort wall in the southwest corner of the park which was the venue for the 1961 feature film, The Devil at 4 O'Clock.
Location
The fort is located in Lahaina, a port town on the west coast of Maui island. Lahaina was then the capital of Hawaii and residence of the royalty. Kahului Airport is the nearest airport, which is away by road.
History
With the arrival of American whaling ships in Lahaina from 1819 and Kamehameha II reading in the town, the first missionaries also arrived in the town in 1920; Rev. C. S. Stewart and the Rev. William Richards came in 1823, and they were invited by Queen Mother Keopuolani.
In the period between 1830 and 1860, American whaling fleets frequented the Lahaina port town which resulted in growth of the economy of the island and brought about modernization. Enjoined with this development was the morality problems created by the visitors [whalers and sailors] because of their addiction to liquor and women. This became the cause for the clashes between the Christian missionaries who enforced what is termed as “blue laws”. This caused the “boisterous” sea men to clash with the missionaries.
With increasing conversions to Christianity the missionaries prevailed on Hoapili, the Governor of Maui, to promulgate laws to prohibit sale of liquor and banning native woman from soliciting by visiting the ships (women used to swim across to ships to meet the sailors) Initial measures taken by the Christian missionaries of the town by enforcing laws (a kapu, the ancient Hawaiian code of conduct of laws and regulations of Hawaii proclaimed in 1825) to prevent the native women visiting the ships or and to prevent the whaling community and sailors from visiting the town after nightfall, in pursuit of pleasure, embittered the sailors and whalers.
The “sea-bittered sailors” were not pleased with these stringent regulations, and in 1825 the English whaler Daniel caused rioting in the town for three days and even gave out life threats to Reverend William Richards. Rioting occurred many times, and in one instance in 1827 cannonballs were reported to have been lobbed by the English whaler John Palmer. at the lawn of the Missionary house of William Richard. To prevent such incidents from recurring, Hoapili (1775–1840), the Governor of Maui, built a new fort replacing the original fort that was made of mud and sand.
Queen Kaʻahumanu (1768–1832), the regent of Kuhina Nui, who was a supporter of Rev. Richards, authorized Hoapili, the Governor of Maui to protect the town by building a fort. Hoapili then got the fort built within a month. The sea men who did not conform to the evening curfew were imprisoned in the fort. A visitor noted: “must be off to their ships, or into the fort”, who also noted the condition of the sailors in the prison as: “caressed and hung upon by native girls, who flock here in the ship season, from other parts, to get the ready wages of sin.”
In 1841, American naval officer Charles Wilkes (1798–1877) who visited Lahaina Fort as commanding officer of the United States Exploring Expedition observed: "After the king's palace, the fort is the most conspicuous object: it is of little account, however, as a defence, serving chiefly to confine unruly subjects and sailors in. The area within is about one acre, and the walls are twenty feet high."
There was an ad in the Polynesian Newspaper announcing: "For Sale: A Quantity of Old Guns formerly mounted on the fort at Lahaina – can be seen at the fort in this city.“