WAILUKU (AP) — With the blessing of generous donations, Ka’ahumanu Church’s steeple has been patched, and the roof of the church’s preschool building has been replaced, said Kahu Wayne Higa. ADVERTISING WAILUKU (AP) — With the blessing of generous donations,
WAILUKU (AP) — With the blessing of generous donations, Ka’ahumanu Church’s steeple has been patched, and the roof of the church’s preschool building has been replaced, said Kahu Wayne Higa.
The work done earlier in 2015 offers a reprieve for the iconic Wailuku church that has seen its 139-year-old structure ravaged by time, termites and foul weather. But much more work and fundraising remain unfinished.
“It’s been a very busy and prosperous year,” he said, but there’s “still quite a ways to go.”
Organizations coming to the church’s aid with grants included the Atherton Family Foundation, $50,000; three royal societies — Aha Hui Ka’ahumanu, the Royal Order of Kamehameha and Hale O Na Alii — $15,200; and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation, $10,000.
While the grants gained last year have paid for most of the expenses so far, they’ve still been outpaced by rising costs, Higa said.
Work to replace the preschool’s roof alone cost $110,000, he said. And the steeple patching job came to around $15,000.
“Now, the big leaks are gone,” he said.
The steeple had been in danger of falling down, especially after it was damaged in a Kona windstorm on Valentine’s Day 2014, Higa said. The storm also blew away sections of the preschool’s roof.
The steeple work was done in May, and the preschool roof was repaired in mid-August, he said.
Architect David Lundquist has been working on a master plan for the church and its grounds, he said.
The steeple still needs work on its interior structure. Master plans call for a complete restoration of the church, including its sanctuary, he said, adding he would like to see work completed in five years.
Needed repairs include righting a leaning steeple, waterproofing the church exterior, repairing the foundation and performing historic preservation work on pews, windows and front doors.
The Hawaiian Congregational Church, part of the United Church of Christ, has about 20 regular church members, Higa said.
It has a rich history and had been a popular site for weddings of Japanese couples, although such occasions have dropped to nearly nothing since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese economy faltered, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Great Recession in the U.S., he said.
Nevertheless, “we keep moving forward,” he said. “God’s moving. We’re moving in the right direction.”
The landmark church was built in 1876 by Wailuku Sugar Co. and the Rev. Edward Bailey. It’s located across from the State Building, near the intersection of Wells and South High streets. The first church congregation held services on Aug. 19, 1832, under a thatched roof. Its grounds were part of a royal compound and heiau of the 18th-century alii Kahekili.
The church’s last major renovation was in the 1980s.
