Kilauea Plantation Explained

The Kilauea Plantation or Kilauea Sugar Plantation was a large sugarcane plantation on the north side of Kauai island, Hawaii, including the community of Kilauea, Hawaii. It was owned and operated by the 1880-incorporated Kilauea Sugar Company, which became the Kilauea Sugar Plantation, Co. from 1899 on.[1] [2] The original property was bought by an American, Charles Titcomb, from Kamehameha IV by 1863 who used it for cattle ranching. It was sold to Englishmen John Ross and E.P. Adams, who also leased additional land from Titcomb. Ross and Adams planted sugarcane, then incorporated a firm.[3] It was operated as a plantation from 1880 to 1971.[4]

Historic buildings

Several historic buildings of the plantation survive, and are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Among these are several stone buildings, of a local style that took advantage of fieldstone removed from sugarcane fields. Temporary railway tracks were laid down to transport the fieldstone from piles beside the fields to the building locations.[2]

Kilauea Plantation Manager's House

Kilauea Plantation Manager's House
Location:4591 Kauwa Rd., Kilauea, Hawaii
Coordinates:22.2056°N -159.4122°W
Built:1926
Builder:Larsen, L. David
Architecture:Bungalow/craftsman
Added:August 5, 1993
Refnum:93000777

The Kilauea Plantation Manager's House, at 4591 Kuawa Rd. in Kilauea, was NRHP-listed in 1993; the listing includes three contributing buildings.[5]

Kilauea Plantation Head Luna's House

Kilauea Plantation Head Luna's House
Location:2457 Kolo Rd., Kilauea, Hawaii
Coordinates:22.2083°N -159.4128°W
Built:1931
Builder:Allen, Ray M.
Architecture:Bungalow/craftsman
Added:August 5, 1993
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:93000775

Also known at the William Akana Residence, the Kilauea Plantation Head Luna's House, at 2457 Kolo Rd. in Kilauea, also was NRHP-listed in 1993.[6]

Kilauea Plantation Head Bookkeeper's House

Kilauea Plantation Head Bookkeeper's House
Location:2421 Kolo Rd., Kilauea, Hawaii
Coordinates:22.2083°N -159.4128°W
Built:1930
Builder:Allen, Ray M.
Architecture:Bungalow/craftsman
Added:August 5, 1993
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:93000774

The Kilauea Plantation Head Bookkeeper's House, at 2421 Kolo Rd. in Kilauea, Hawaii, was built in 1930. Its NRHP listing, also in 1993, included two contributing buildings. The main house was the seventh stone house built by the plantation, and is "a good example of the bungalow/craftsman style in Hawaii".[7]

Kilauea School

See main article: article. 22.2108°N -159.4122°WThe school for the community was the Kilauea School, located on the edge of the plantation, at 2440 Kolo Rd., Kilauea, Hawaii. It was built in 1922 and is NRHP-listed, but is not built of stone. It was listed for its architecture and its association with the community.[8]

Kong Lung Store

See main article: article and Kong Lung Store. 22.2153°N -159.4097°WThis was a grocery store for plantation workers, located on W. side of Lighthouse Rd., about .5 mi N. of HI 56., and is listed on the National Register. Built in c.1941, it was the last stone building built by the plantation.[9]

Railway

See main article: article and Kilauea Sugar Plantation Railway. The Kilauea Sugar Plantation Railway or Kilauea Track Line was the NaNmiles long narrow gauge railway network with a gauge of 2 ft (610 mm) for transporting sugarcane and sugar.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Finding Aid . Kaua'i Historical Society . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029222422/http://kauaihistoricalsociety.org/assets/finding_aids/manuscript_01.pdf . 2013-10-29 .
  2. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=64500141}} Kilauea Plantation Stone Buildings MPS ].
  3. News: Soboleski. Hank. 2021-01-03. Kauai's Kilauea Sugar Co. closed in Nov. 1971. 2021-01-04. The Garden Island. en-US.
  4. Web site: Kilauea Plantation 1877-1971 . June 26, 2000 . Chris Cook . The Garden Island.
  5. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=93000777}} National Register of Historic Places Registration: Kilauea Plantation Manager's House ]. Barbara Robeson . May 23, 1991 . National Park Service. and
  6. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=93000775}} National Register of Historic Places Registration: Kilauea Plantation Head Luna's House ]. Barbara Robeson . May 23, 1991 . National Park Service. and
  7. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=93000774}} National Register of Historic Places Registration: Kilauea Plantation Head Bookkeeper's House ]. Barbara Robeson . May 23, 1991 . National Park Service. and
  8. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=83000254}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Kilauea School ]. Beryl Blaich and Don Hibbard . February 1983 . National Park Service. and
  9. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=93000776}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Kong Lung Store ]. Barbara Robeson . May 23, 1991 . National Park Service. and