Hale Pa‘ahao Prison Improvements - Lahaina HI

City:: Lahaina, HI
Site Type:: Civic Facilities, Military and Public Safety, Archaeology and History, Penal Facilities, Historical Restoration
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Quality of Information:: Moderate
Marked:: Yes
Site Survival:: Partially Extant

Description

Hale Pa‘ahao (stuck-in-irons house) was Lahaina’s “new” prison, built in the 1850s during the whaling era. The prison has been restored three times, in the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s.

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation reports that: “During the 1930s, County of Maui sponsored reconstruction of the cells and stockade by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).” There is a stone marker acknowledging the WPA’s work, as well.

Another metal marker says that the gatehouse was restored in 1959. Then, as the Lahaina Restoration Foundation report continues:

“In 1967, Lahaina Restoration Foundation presented to Maui Historical Commission a plan for restoring the old prison. It detailed how to preserve the prison yard wall and rebuild the wooden buildings with proper historical and archaeological research. In a public-private partnership, Hale Pa‘ahao was then transformed from a collapsing ruin to an enjoyable outdoor museum and botanical garden.”

It is unclear if the restoration done by the WPA was retained in the later renovation work. In addition, a massive wildfire ravaged Lahaina in 2023 and we do not know if the prison site survived.