St. Peter’s by the Sea Catholic Church at Kahaluu Beach, site of countless weddings throughout the years, is getting a facelift.
The 140-year-old church was originally located at La‘aloa, but was moved to its current location in 1912.
“They cut down palm trees to use to roll the building along Alii Drive, which was just a dirt road back then, pulled by donkeys,” said project manager Don Nelson.
The steeple, added in 1937, is being replaced with high-grade stainless steel. Nelson said a new roof is being installed and the iconic church will get a paint job once repairs are complete.
On Saturday, The Gutterman Kona was building a custom scaffold to reach the steeple and perform repairs.
Nelson said the church was treated for termites and plans are underway to rebuild the surrounding dry stacked walls and beautify the grounds.
“We hope to be able to open the doors to the public soon,” Nelson said.