O'ahu - Honolulu - Capitol District: 'Iolani Palace

            'Iolani Palace, located at 364 South King Street, was built between 1879 and 1882 as the official residence for King Kalākaua and Queen Kapi'olani, and then late for Queen Lili'uokalani.  The only royal palace used in such capacity by a reigning monarch in the United States, following the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893, it was used in succession as the capitol building for the Provisional Government, Republic, Territory, and State of Hawai'i until 1969 at which point it was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1978.
 
The current structure replaced a one-story wooden building called Hanailoia built for Princess Victoria Kamāmalu and purchased by King Kamehameha III when he moved his capital from Lahaina to Honolulu in 1845.  During Kamehameha V's reign, the name was changed to 'Iolani Palace, literally meaning "royal hawk."  The 'Iolani Barracks, designed by Theodore Heuck, were added in 1871, to house the royal guards.  When David Kalākaua assumed the throne, he ordered the original palace razed and commissioned a new one to be fashioned after the modern palaces he visited throughout Europe.  
 
The brick and concrete-faced building was designed by Thomas J. Baker, Charles J. Wall and Isaac Moore in a unique style known as American Florentine at a lavish cost of over $340,000.  It measures 140-feet by 100-feet and rises two stories over a raised basement to a height of 54-feet with four corner towers and two center towers rising to a height of 76-feet.  The first floor is dominated by a grand hall, facing a staircase made of koa wood, that adjoins to a throne room, a blue meeting room and a dining room.  Upstairs are a private library and bedrooms.  The palace was wired with both electricity and telephones, before even the White House.
 
Upon the overthrow of the monarchy by the Committee of Safety in 1893, troops of the newly the newly formed Provisional Government of Hawaiʻi  took control of ʻ'Iolani Palace, which a few months later was renamed the "Executive Building" for the Republic of Hawai'i.  Government officials auctioned off any furniture or furnishing unsuitable for government operations.  Queen Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned for nine months in a small room on the upper floor, where she crafted a quilt that is still on display, after the second of the Wilcox rebellions in 1895.  Her trial was held in the former throne room.  

The Palace area was originally enclosed by an eight-foot high coral block wall with wooden gates. Following the Wilcox Rebellion in 1889, it was lowered to 3'6". In 1891, it was topped with the present painted iron fence.  The four principle gates each display the Coat of Arms of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and have a distinctive name and purpose--Kauikeaouli, which was named in honor of King Kamehameha III and used for ceremonial occasions; Kina'u, which was named after the mother of Kings Kamehameha IV and used by tradesmen; Hakaleleponi, which was named for Queen Kalama, consort of Kamehameha III and used by servants and retainers of the royal household; and Likelike, which was given the name of Princess Likelike, sister to King Kalakaua and Queen Lili`uokalani and reserved for private use by the royal family.  

National Register #66000293 (1966)
Hawaii Capital Historic District National Register #78001020 (1978)

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Taken in: United States / Hawaii / Honolulu / Capitol District (show map)

Taken on: May 22, 2010

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Iolani Palace

palace

charles j. wall

isaac moore

Hawaiian renaissance

american florentine

cj wall

capitol district

civic center

downtown honolulu

honolulu

o'ahu

honolulu county

Hawai'i

NRHP

National Register of Historic Places

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

national historic landmark

nhl

landmark

National Historic Landmark District

U.S. National Historic Landmark District

Hawaii Capital Historic District

seal

gate

coat of arms

royal coat of arms

U.S. Historic District Contributing Property

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Sets appears in: • Oʻahu - Honolulu: Capitol District

Groups appears in: • Geotagged: Hawaii

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS, f/3.5, 1/800 sec, 7.4mm, ISO 160 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS
Aperture:	f/3.5
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/800)
Focal Length:	7.4mm
ISO:	160
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Picasa 3.0
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