Parking
There are two parking areas
on the right hand side of Hanapepe Road, or continue farther down and
take a left on Kona Road and park at Hanapepe Park, where restrooms
and picnic tables are available. About
Hanapepe Hanapepe means
“crushed bay”; perhaps so named due the landslides in the
valley or the appearance of the cliffs from the sea. to the rocks
surrounding the deep bay area. The native people of Hawai`i, Kanaka
Maoli, inhabited the fertile valley of Hanapepe for centuries
before Captain Cook arrived in 1778.
Hanapepe Valley is a fertile
area, where many foods such as banana, sugar cane, and sweet potato
were grown. Besides growing taro, kalo, from which “poi”
is made, Hawaiians developed salt, cultivated in saltwater ponds for
trade with sailors. Salt trading was the earliest entrepreneurial
legacy of Hanapepe. The right to harvest salt, handed down through
families, continues today. Hanapepe's
Churches In the 1820's missionaries
arrived in the Hawaiian Islands. Hanapoep First United Church (now
called Hanapepe Hawaiian Congregational Church) was established in 1890
as a mission station. By the turn of the century there were close to
a dozen different churches of many denominations established in the
area. Today Hanapepe's churches and temples include: Church of the
Nazarine, Hanapepe Hawaiian Congregational Church, Hanapepe Hongwanji
Mission, Hanapepe United Church of Christ, Kaua`i Soto Zen Temple
Zenshuji, Missionary Baptist Church and The Salvation Army. Entrepreneurial
Immigrants The sugar industry
flourished in the 1880's, bringing Chinese, Japanese and Filipino
immigrants to the islands. Most stores and towns on Kaua`i were built
and owned by the sugar plantations. Hanapepe, however, was built by
entrepreneurial immigrants. Many who retired from the sugar
plantations or could not adapt to their strict working conditions
came to Hanapepe to grow taro, rice, or begin small farms or
businesses to serve the local community. Labor union organizers in
the early 1900's were welcome in Hanapepe. Workers in the fist half
of the century who organized to strike for better wages or conditions
at sugar and pineapple plantations were not allowed to reside at
plantation camps; strikers had to stay in independent areas such as
Hanapepe. The nearby harbor had many longshoremen who had concerns about working conditions and safety as well. Today workers have better safety regulations, wages and
retirement benefits due to the activism of previous generations.
Architecture
Give Wild West Flavor When arriving into old
Hanepepe town, you may think you have been transported to Dodge city,
or another picturesque western U.S. town. But it's in the middle of
the Pacific! There is a reason why this part of Hanepepe looks so
much like the “American West”. This is because much of
the town drew from the same source of carpenters and architects: the
imported skilled labor from Asia. When these immigrants weren't
building railroads or harvesting sugar, they were building towns.
They had arrived to work on sugar plantations, and stayed to
influence the architecture and lifestyle for generations to come. The town was primarily
populated by adventurous Asian immigrants at the turn of the
20thcentury. They built clinics and hospitals, movie
theaters and pool halls, churches and temples, hotels and homes.
Hanapepe became a bustling
town in the 1930's and World War II years when it got named “Kauai's
Biggest Little Town” by the Hanapepe Merchants Association.
Soldiers stationed at the Army installation established the Hanapepe
airfield area came for R&R, (Rest and Relaxation). The town
offered a USO Club, several bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, and
even two roller-skating rinks. Annual parades drew people from other
parts of the island and popular entertainers were featured. Today, many of Hanapepe's
rustic store fronts have become home to a variety of quaint art
galleries, often operated by the artists themselves. In fact,
Hanapepe offers more fine art galleries than any other town on Kauai.
Each Friday night artists present an open house. It is known as
Art Night and galleries are open 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.” Most of the buildings are of
single-wall wood construction utilizing vertical tongue in groove or
board & batten siding. A few more recent buildings utilized the
sturdy concrete blocks that withstand strong winds. One notable
exception to the western style is the Aloha Theater, which represents
the art nouveau era. An effort is underway to restore this classic
theater. Many of the buildings are
noted for their large display windows, false front parapets, and pent
roofs or awnings at their front elevation, providing shade and
protection for the first floor windows, entrances, and
passing pedestrians.
"> Historic buildings have made
this town a choice location for movie makers with such films as
“Flight of the Intruder” and the mini-series, “The
Thornbirds”. Hanapepe was the home town of “Lilo and
Stitch”, Disney's popular animated children's movie. Historic
Hanapepe Walking Tour Map - The full color Historic
Hanapepe Walking Tour Map has most of the historic buildings depicted
and is the best way to see the town. Most commercial stores in
Hanapepe have the map available. Call (808)335-5944 to confirm any
location or write to Hanapepe Economioc Alliance, PO Box 934,
Hanapepe, HI 96716. Suggested retail cost for each map is $2.
However, you many visitor guide books include a discount coupon for
this map. At the Lihue International Airport, look for a display of
rack cards and exchange one for a free map when you come to the town. If you are driving on the
highway over the 1938 bridge and head west, the last right marks the
West gateway onto Hanapepe Road. Driving further west out of Hanapepe
you pass the old AmFac building on your left, and the very next left
takes you to the Hanapepe Salt Pond Park, a beach area to have a
picnic and swim. You will also drive by the Veteran’s cemetery
and may see the helicopter’s taking off for sightseeing.
Start your jaunt on the
Historic Hanapepe Walking Tour by stepping onto Hanapepe Road. We
suggest comfortable walking shoes and sun protection as you meander
along the paved 1.5 mile route. If you decide to walk along Kaumuali`i
highway, be aware of the traffic around you and only cross the street
at crosswalks.
Illustration
2: 3890 Hanapepe Road: The upstairs of the old Serikawa building
once housed the office of Jack Hall, ILWU union organizer.
