Banyan Tree Park Development – Lahaina HI

City:
Lahaina, HI

Site Type:
Parks and Recreation, Picnic and Other Facilities, Landscaping and Tree Planting

New Deal Agencies:
Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Quality of Information:
Moderate

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Partially Extant

Description

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed downtown Lahaina’s Banyan Tree Park.  The park surrounds an immense banyan tree (a variety of tropic ficus) that covers three-quarters of an acre.  It is the largest and best known tree in Hawai’i.

There is a stone marker in the park that says the WPA built the park, which presumably means that relief workers landscaped the park, added paving and built benches. It appears that the benches have been replaced recently.

A massive wildfire burned through Lahaina in August 2023 and scorched the famous Banyan Tree; it is unknown to Living New Deal whether the tree and park has survived.

Source notes

WPA marker at the park

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/us/lahaina-banyan-tree.html

Site originally submitted by Hank Chapot on August 29, 2014.
Additional contributions by Zia Walker-Chinoy.

Location Info


Banyan Tree Park
Lahaina, HI 96761
Maui County

Coordinates: 20.87177, -156.67762

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.