ʻIolani Palace

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Iolani Palace
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Iolani Palace is the hallmark of Hawaiian renaissance architecture
Location:	Honolulu, HI
Coordinates:	21°18′23.84″N 157°51′32.25″W / 21.3066222, -157.8589583Coordinates: 21°18′23.84″N 157°51′32.25″W / 21.3066222, -157.8589583
Built/Founded:	1871
Architect:	Thomas J. Baker, C.S. Wall and Isaac Moore
Architectural style(s):	Other
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966
NRHP Reference#:	66000293^[1]
Governing body:	State

ʻIolani Palace is situated in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It is the only royal palace used as an official residence by a reigning monarch in the United States and is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two monarchs governed from ʻIolani Palace: King David Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani.

1 Royal Palace
2 Capitol Building
3 Restoration
4 In fiction
5 Images
6 See also
7 Notes
8 External links
9 Resources

[edit] Royal Palace

The ʻIolani Palace structure that exists today is actually the second ʻIolani Palace to sit on the palace grounds. The original palace, built during the reign of Kamehameha III, was a one-story Greek-revival building made out of coral block that was only third the floor area of the present palace. It was purchased by Kamehameha III from Governor Mataio Kekuanaoa of Oʻahu who had build it for his daughter (Kamehameha III's niece) Princess Victoria Kamamalu when he moved his capital from Lahaina to Honolulu in 1845. It was constructed as a traditional aliʻ residence, in that the palace itself had no sleeping rooms. It just had a throne room, a reception room, and a state dining room as well, with other houses around for sleeping and for retainers. Kamehameha III preferred to live in the grass huts he build around the palace. The building was named, Hale Aliʻi meaning (House of the Chiefs). During Kamehameha V reign it was changed to "ʻIolani Palace," after his brother Kamehameha IV's given names (his full name was Alexander Liholiho Keawenui ʻIolani). It literally means "royal hawk." The Palace served as the official residence of the monarch during the reigns of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, Lunalilo, and the first part of Kalākaua's reign. The original structure was very simple in design and was more of a stately home than a palace, but at the time, it was the grandest house in town.

King Kamehameha V was the first monarch to envision a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state such as Hawaiʻi. He commissioned the construction of Aliʻiōlani Hale to be the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy. The building was constructed across the street from the original ʻIolani Palace structure. It was name after himself (his full name was Lot Kapuaiwa Kalanikapuapaikalaninui Aliʻiolani Kalanimakua) it means "House of the heavenly King". At the time, Hawaiʻi sorely needed a government building, since the government buildings of the time were small and cramped. Ultimately, Aliʻiōlani Hale became an administrative building instead of a palace, housing the judiciary of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and various other ministries.

The gates of ʻIolani Palace feature the Royal Coat of Arms.

By the time David Kalākaua assumed the throne, the original ʻIolani Palace was in poor condition, suffering from ground termite damage. He ordered the palace to be razed.

Kalākaua was the first monarch to travel around the world. While visiting other sovereign states of the world, he took note of the grand palaces owned by other monarchs. Like Kamehameha V, he dreamed of a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state such as Hawaiʻi. He commissioned the construction a new ʻIolani Palace, directly across the street from Aliʻiōlani Hale, to become the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy. The building was completed in 1882 and cost over $360,000. It had electricity and telephones even before the White House and served as the official residence of the Hawaiian monarch until the kingdom was overthrown in 1893.

ʻIolani Palace features architecture seen nowhere else in the world. This unique style is known as American Florentine. On the first floor a grand hall faces a magnificent staircase of koa wood. The Throne Room, the blue meeting room, and the Dining Room adjoin the hall. Upstairs are the private library and bedrooms of the Hawaiian monarchs, including the simple room where Queen Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned after the second of the Wilcox rebellions. The quilt she made is still there. In the basement is a photographic display of the Palace, the Hawaiian crown jewels, orders and decorations given by the monarchs, and magnificent regalia worn by the high chiefs of the islands.

[edit] Capitol Building

Upon the overthrow of the monarchy by the Committee of Safety in 1893, ʻIolani Palace was converted into the statehouse of the newly formed Provisional Government of Hawaiʻi. It later became the capitol of the Republic of Hawaiʻi, Territory of Hawaiʻi and State of Hawaiʻi and housed the offices of their respective governors and legislatures.

On April 30, 2008, ʻIolani Palace was overtaken by a group of native Hawaiians called the Hawaiian Kingdom Government to protest what they view as illegitimate rule by the United States. Mahealani Kahau, "head of state" of the group, said they do not recognize Hawaiʻi as a U.S. state, but would keep the occupation of the palace peaceful. "The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is here and it doesn't plan to leave. This is a continuity of the Hawaiian Kingdom of 1892 to today," Kahau said.^[2]^[3]

In response, The ʻIolani Palace released a statement that while they "respect the freedom of Hawaiian groups to hold an opinion on the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, we believe that blocking public access to Iolani Palace is wrong and certainly detrimental to our mission to share the Palace and its history with our residents, our keiki and our visitors."^[4] Additionally, the statement goes on to clarify the historical record that the original seat of government of the Hawaiian Kingdom was not ʻIolani Palace. The Palace was instead used as the royal residence while government activities were carried out in the original courthouse (now demolished) and later in Aliʻiolani Hale.^[5]

[edit] Restoration

Then Governor of Hawaiʻi, John A. Burns, oversaw the construction of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol directly behind ʻIolani Palace. When the new capitol building was completed in 1969, Governor Burns decided to vacate all government offices from ʻIolani Palace and undertake an ambitious restoration project. He envisioned the return of ʻIolani Palace to the people of Hawaiʻi in memory of the beloved royal family that had resided in it decades before. When restoration was completed, ʻIolani Palace was opened to the public in 1978. Today guided tours are given most mornings, and visitors can take individualized audio tours at their leisure. Special events are also held there.

[edit] In fiction

The fictional TV series, Hawaii Five-O, had state police headquarters based in ʻIolani Palace.
ʻIolani Palace plays a significant role in the Harry Turtledove books Days of Infamy and End of the Beginning as the seat of the Japanese puppet government of Hawaiʻi.