Highlighted News Stories from January & February 2024.

Workers Begin Shoring Up The Baldwin Home Museum, Maui’s Oldest Standing House, Built In 1835.

Maui’s oldest home, the Baldwin Home Museum, received critical support from workers as massive counterweights were poured to reinforce its cracked walls after a wildfire devastated Lahaina in August 2023. The adjacent Master’s Reading Room faced similar damage, prompting urgent action from the Lahaina Restoration Foundation to prevent potential collapse. Foundation Executive Director, Theo Morrison, emphasized the urgency of the situation, citing the risk of further deterioration due to the building’s construction materials and exposure to rain. With lime mortar holding rock and coral block walls together, the risk of collapse was significant, especially after the roof and floors collapsed. Despite FEMA’s plans to restore historic buildings lost in the fire, including the Baldwin Home, Morrison stressed the need for immediate action, which FEMA will reimburse. Workers followed architect Glenn Mason’s guidance to position the counterweights, ensuring the stability of both structures. The fire ravaged 11 of 14 buildings under the Foundation’s care, including the beloved Old Lahaina Courthouse, which housed the Lahaina Heritage Museum. The museum covered Lahaina history from the pre-contact era, through the monarchy, missionaries, whaling, and plantation life, to early tourism. Morrison mourned the loss of irreplaceable artifacts, including a historic Hawaiian flag, symbolizing Lahaina’s rich history until the day it burned. Opened in 1860, during the reign of King Kamehameha IV, the charred courthouse fronts razed Lahaina Harbor. To its rear, the town’s expansive banyan tree sprouts green leaves from nearby limbs.

Note: Parts of this post were written using ChatGPT, with details gathered from Maui News.