Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division

Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division
Name	Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division
Formed	1961
Jurisdiction	Hawaii
Headquarters	Honolulu
Parent agency	Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources

Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Division is the state office charged with identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic, archaeological, and cultural resources across the State of Hawaii. It administers programs under federal statutes such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and state laws including the Hawaii Revised Statutes provisions for historic preservation. The Division works with federal agencies, tribal organizations, and local governments to manage inventories, nominations, and stewardship of heritage places spanning precontact Hawaiian sites to twentieth-century landmarks.

History

The office traces its origins to the broader preservation movement that followed passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the establishment of state historic preservation officers across the United States, influenced by earlier efforts such as the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and advocacy from entities like the National Trust for Historic Preservation. During the postwar period, interest in documenting Hawaiian petroglyphs, heiau, and plantation-era architecture intensified alongside archaeological surveys triggered by projects like Interstate H-1 construction and Pearl Harbor area development. Landmark events that shaped the Division’s mission include the listing of ʻIolani Palace on preservation watch lists and campaigns around ʻIolani's restoration, efforts connected to the Bishop Museum and archaeological work tied to the Kīpuka studies. Over decades the office has navigated controversies involving Land use disputes on islands such as Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island, responding to litigation and policy changes shaped by courts including the United States Supreme Court and state legislative actions in Honolulu.

Organization and Leadership

The Division operates within the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources structure and coordinates with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) appointed under federal guidelines codified in the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Its leadership interacts with officials from the National Park Service, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and United States Army Corps of Engineers when projects affect cultural resources. The Division’s staff includes archaeologists, architectural historians, preservation planners, and cultural advisors who work alongside advisors from institutions like the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Hawaiʻi Community College, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Governance structures reflect input from county councils in Honolulu County, Maui County, Kauai County and Hawaii County, and consultative relationships with Hawaiian sovereign entity claimants and kūpuna through bodies modeled on traditional councils such as the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

Programs and Responsibilities

Key programs include administration of the National Register of Historic Places nominations for Hawaiian properties, maintenance of the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places, and review processes under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 for federal undertakings. The Division manages archaeological resource permits in accordance with state statutes and collaborates on cultural resource inventories like the Hawaiʻi Archaeological Inventory and the Maui Archaeological Survey. It provides technical guidance for rehabilitation projects conforming to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and oversees compliance for projects funded by programs such as the Historic Preservation Fund and Transportation Enhancement Program. Preservation easements, grant programs, and tax-credit counseling involve coordination with entities like the Hawaii Historic Foundation, Hawaiʻi Preservation Society, and regional museums including the Hawaii Plantation Village.

Registered and Protected Sites

The Division has facilitated listing of numerous properties on the National Register of Historic Places including iconic locations such as ʻIolani Palace, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, Haleakalā National Park historic districts, and sugar plantation sites on Kōloa. It monitors wahi kūpuna, heiau complexes, fishpond systems like Kīholo Bay features, and Cold War-era sites such as military installations on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. The Division’s files document archaeological districts, historic districts in Lahaina, ranching-era properties on Hawaiʻi Island, and twentieth-century landmarks including landmarks related to the Honolulu Advertiser and Hawaiian Electric Company histories. Protective measures extend to underwater cultural resources near Pearl Harbor and coastal archaeological sites adjacent to the Nā Pali Coast State Park.

Preservation Projects and Initiatives

Major initiatives have included rehabilitation planning for royal sites tied to the House of Kalākaua and restoration projects for plantation-era buildings associated with the Alexander & Baldwin archives. The Division has supported archaeological mitigation for infrastructure projects like runway expansions at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and road improvements coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration. Community-driven restoration efforts for ʻāina-based projects have partnered with organizations such as Conservation International and the Nature Conservancy on landscape-scale stewardship. Research collaborations with the Bishop Museum, University of Hawaiʻi Press, and the National Park Service have produced inventories, nomination dossiers, and interpretive plans for sites including traditional loko iʻa fishponds and missionary-era churches like Kawaiahaʻo Church.

Partnerships and Community Engagement

The Division emphasizes consultation with Native Hawaiian organizations including Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, and ʻohana groups to ensure culturally appropriate stewardship of wahi kapu and wahi kūpuna. It engages volunteer programs, educational outreach with the Department of Education (Hawaii) and universities, and public history projects in collaboration with museums such as the Bishop Museum and Hawaiʻi State Art Museum. Intergovernmental partnerships extend to the National Park Service, Department of Defense, and municipal planning departments in Honolulu, Līhuʻe, Wailuku, and Hilo. The Division’s grants, workshops, and technical assistance foster preservation planning for communities, private owners, and nonprofit stewards like the Hawaiʻi Historic Foundation and Friends of ʻIolani Palace.

Category:History of Hawaii Category:Historic preservation organizations in the United States