A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest significance and worthy of preservation.
7-442: Lahaina Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District encompassing most of the community of Lahaina, Hawaii , on the west side of the island of Maui in the US state of Hawaii . Designated in 1962, the district recognizes Lahaina for its well-preserved character as a 19th-century port, and for its social and economic importance in the 19th century as a major whaling center in
14-616: A National Historic Landmark in 1962. The district is bounded on the north by Puʻuona Point, the south by Makila Point, and the east by the ridge of hills above the town. Its western bound extends all the way out to the island of Lānaʻi , encompassing the Lahaina Roads , the roadstead which enabled the town's growth in the 19th century. Donn Beach and Pete Wimberly played an important early role in establishing building ordinances to govern restoration and preservation projects in Lahaina. When
21-765: A National Historic Landmark or on the National Register of Historic Places but may also include non-contributing properties. The U.S. federal government designates historic districts through the National Park Service , a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior . Once designated an NNL District, districts often become cultural destinations and generate economic benefits for the communities from history-related tourism. NHLDs often qualify for preservation grant monies but dramatic or negative change to them can impact their integrity and create cause for concern over
28-505: The Pacific, and as one of the capital cities of the Kingdom of Hawaii . Lahaina was a popular residential center for the kings of Maui prior to the arrival of European explorers in the late 18th century. Kamehameha I made his landing here when he began the conquest of Maui in 1795, and Kamehameha II established a residence here in 1819. That same year, the first whaling ships arrived, beginning
35-450: The community's rise in economic importance. Lahaina eclipsed Oahu as a preferred whaling port between 1840 and 1855, because of its better deep-water anchorage. When Kamehameha III ascended to the Hawaiian throne in 1825, he made Lahaina his capital, preferring it to the busier Honolulu . The town declined in economic importance in the 1860s, as the whaling industry waned. It was declared
42-527: The landmark district was designated in 1962, nine buildings were called out for their specific contribution to the district. The Historic American Buildings Survey collected detailed drawings in the 1960s and 1970s. The district suffered catastrophic damage in the 2023 Hawaii wildfires with historic structures being destroyed (highlighted with red background). National Historic Landmark District The boundaries of an NHLD typically include contributing properties that may themselves be listed distinctly as
49-670: The loss of NHLD designation. These threats can come from development or climate change as evidenced most recently with the catastrophic damage to the Lahaina NHLD from wildfires. One of the largest NHLDs is the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts at over 30,000 acres; some are much smaller, including the Cobblestone National Historic Landmark District in New York state , which is under one acre in size. There are over 2,600 National Historic Landmark Districts in
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