This Historic Park Is One Of Hawaii's Best Kept Secrets
By Megan Shute|Published September 04, 2018
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
From the first Europeans visiting the islands in 1778 and the establishment of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795 to Hawaii’s admittance to the United States of America in 1959, the Hawaiian Islands are steeped in history — and sites full of history. Though the Hawaiian Islands are home to several fascinating historic parks, there is only one spot that we can claim as one of Hawaii’s best-kept secrets.
Just south of Waimea on the coast of Kauai, is Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park, a fascinating and often-overlooked slice of Hawaiian history just waiting to be discovered.
In the early 1800s, Russia attempted to establish a foothold in the Hawaiian Islands, and Fort Elizabeth was built as a result of an alliance between the High Chief Kaumuali’i and the Russian-American Company.
The "treaty" granted Russian Tsar Alexander I a protectorate over Kauai, with the implication that Russia could capture the entire island chain from Kamehameha if desired. It is said that Kaumuali’i never intended to give up his power, but that the Russians would help him reclaim his own kingdom.
Constructed in 1817 on the east bank of the Waimea River overlooking Waimea Bay, the structure was built in the shape of an irregular octagon. Approximately 300 to 450 feet across with walls 20 feet high, the building housed a small Russian Orthodox chapel, the first Orthodox Christian church in Hawaii.
The goal was to create a fueling station in the Pacific Ocean and establish a stable trading for the shipping company, but Russia’s involvement with Hawaii was short lived and ended just a few years after it began.
Though the historic fort has been reclaimed by nature in the past century, the historic park found here today is home to an interpretive trail that allows guests to step back in time and experience a slice of Hawaiian history that is too often overlooked.
Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park is located at Kaumualii Hwy., Waimea, HI 96796 and is open all day, every day. For a more detailed history of the fort and Russia’s involvement with Hawaii, visit the National Park Service website. Have you ever visited this unique historic park? Share your experiences with us in the comments below.
