This Entire Neighborhood In Hawaii Was Mysteriously Abandoned And Nobody Knows Why

The United States of America is home to countless sites that have been abandoned — some for just a few years and others for centuries. The Hawaiian Islands are no exception. While some of these abandoned homes in Hawaii are abandoned for very clear reasons (like the decline of an industry or extreme storm damage, for example) we are left guessing as to why others were left to deteriorate and become one with nature.

It isn’t often, however, that entire neighborhoods are abandoned seemingly for no reason. But that’s exactly what happened to this neighborhood with abandoned houses in Oahu that were on a military base abandoned in the last decade, and while there are rumors as to why the neighborhood was abandoned, I can’t find actual documentation to support any specific claims — only internet comments. This is one of Hawaii’s most modern mysteries!

This is what was once referred to as Fort Kamehameha, a military subdivision built in the early 1900s on what now is Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

It’s a beautiful neighborhood, well built and looks like it’d be perfect for families.

Urban explorer Richard Scherberger describes the current state of the site as "heart breaking" in his video tour of the neighborhood:

The large craftsman style houses found in this particular neighborhood were once home to large military families.

There’s plenty of room for everyone, and the homes are spacious and well made in Fort Kamehameha in Hawaii.

Children could often be found playing in the neighborhoods grassy expanses and climbing on this playground.

The details of the entire neighborhood are charming, and it would be a wonderful place to live.

After families stopped being assigned these homes, they were boarded up, though it is clear that the military still performed marginal maintenance on the area's roads and lawns.

As far as abandoned places in Hawaii go, this is one area that we feel could still be a wonderful place to live with some work.

It’s rumored that the reason was due to the neighborhood’s proximity to the flight line, and though we can’t be certain, this plane flying overhead in this photograph gives this rumor some merit.

There were never any incidents in the neighborhood regarding the close flight line, but I suppose the government wanted to be better safe than sorry. And who could blame them? But without conclusive evidence, it remains one of Hawaii’s mysteries.

It is also entirely possible that the military didn't want to make the repairs necessary for new families to inhabit these homes. After all, the homes were nearly a century old, and clearly needed some updates.

Due to troop reduction and the building of new military housing, perhaps the homes were simply no longer needed. So this neighborhood joined the list of abandoned places in Hawaii.

Who knows why this seemingly perfect example of a classic American subdivision was abandoned, but we do know one thing: we wouldn't want to walk through this eerie neighborhood — no matter what time of day it was.

Its emptiness is startling, especially as the reason the place is abandoned has never been confirmed.

For a better look at this abandoned neighborhood, check out this video uploaded by YouTube user Some FairLife Milk:

Want to learn more about abandoned homes in Hawaii beyond this abandoned neighborhood or wonder if there could be abandoned houses in Honolulu? Check out the abandoned Coco Palms Resort, Marconi Wireless Telegraph Station, or the Koloa Sugar Mill - I think it would make for a perfect spine-tingling road trip.