NPS Photo The Chief's House Site is located south of the Pu'uhonua, and is easily viewed from the picnic area. This site contains the ruins of four adjoining platforms thought to once be the home of an important chief. Excavations carried out in the 1960's indicate that originally a modest sized house with an adjoining halau occupied the site. Over time the site expanded to include no less than four structures likely consisting of a mua (men's house), hale noa (family house), hale kahumu (cooking shelter), and a hale 'aina (women's eating house). It has been suggested that the site may have been one of the homes of Kīwala'ō, Kamehameha's adversary, who often resided in Hōnaunau. The site was occupied continuously for well over a hundred years until 1952 when a modern dwelling occupying the site burned to the ground. |
Last updated: February 28, 2015