Russian Fort Elizabeth
Pā'ula'ula State Historical Park (Russian fort) | |
 Artist's impression of Fort Elizabeth | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Waimea, Kauai County, Hawaii |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 21°57′6″N 159°39′51″W / 21.95167°N 159.66417°W |
| Area | 17.5 acres (7.1 ha) |
| Built | 1817 |
| Architect | Dr. Georg Anton Schäffer |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000299[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1962[2] |
Pā'ula'ula State Historical Park (Russian Fort Elizabeth) is a
History
In 1815, German physician
| Part of a series on the | |
| History of Hawaii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1779 |
Schäffer's medical expertise gained Kamehameha's respect but he denied the Russians any assistance against Kaumualiʻi. Schäffer was followed by two company ships, the Otkrytie and the
In 1820, the guns fired in salute as Kaumualiʻi's son, Prince George "Prince" Kaumualiʻi (also known as Humehume) arrived on the ship Thaddeus, after guiding American missionaries back to his home. Humehume tried to stage a rebellion in 1824 by attacking the fort. It was used as a base to capture him and keep the kingdom unified. It was abandoned in 1853.[3]
Dismantling
He[
Access
The fort is located at coordinates 21°57′6″N 159°39′51″W / 21.95167°N 159.66417°W, on the southeastern shore of the mouth of the Waimea River in Waimea, Kauai County, Hawaii. A small parking lot is south of the Hawaii Route 50 bridge, known as Kaumualiʻi Highway in honor of the last king. Facilities at the park include an interpretive walking path, and restrooms. A brochure with details of the site is available for a self-guided interpretive tour. Visitors to this site can enjoy exploring the remains of the fort, viewing scenery, photography and historical interpretation.[6]
Significance
This large stone construction is the most magnificent reminder of the attempts by the Russians for gaining an influential position in the Hawaiian Islands during the early 19th century. Alexander Baranov, governor of the Russian American Company at Sitka, wished to open trade with the Hawaiian Islands to obtain food for the Alaska settlements and sent several vessels for this purpose. One of these ships was wrecked at Waimea, Kauai, in 1815; and the next year Baranov sent Dr. Georg Anton Scheffer for recovering the cargo and, likely, to open a permanent Russian trading post or to gain SL political foothold. Scheffer was successful in quickly gaining influence over King Kaumualii, of Kauai, and in the summer of 1816 persuaded the latter to sign an agreement giving the Russians special trading and economic privileges on Kauai and Oahu. In a failed attempt to build a fort at Honolulu, Scheffer went back to Kauai to consolidate his position with Kaumualii. His aim, evidently, was to convince the king to declare his independence of Kamehameha and enter under Russian protection. He primarily erected an earthwork at Hanalei; and, sometime between April and October, 1817, he built a strong stone fort at Waimea, over which the Russian flag was flown.[2][7]
The Waimea establishment was a huge one. In addition, the fort was equipped with guns and quarters for troops, Scheffer owned a factory or trading house, with gardens and houses for a staff of about 30 families. Apparently, the fort was not fully completed by the Fall of 1817. By that time Scheffer's peremptory conduct had alienated the Hawaiians. Acting on orders from Kamehameha, the Russians were ousted by Kaumualii.
After the departure of Scheffer from the islands, Hawaiian troops occupied the fort evidently in October 1817. In 1820, a 21-gun salute was fired when the brig Thaddeus came up with the son of Kaumualii, who had been attending school in the United States. The first mission settlement of the Protestants on Kauai took place on the river bank close to the fort. Around 1853, the fort was abandoned because the Hawaiian garrison was withdrawn.[3][8]
Physical structure
Varying in cross measurement from 300 to 450 feet, the structure is in the form of ‘an irregular octagon’. The outer walls are made of piled stone; the walls are from 25 to 45 feet thick and about 20 feet high, and remain in good condition. The foundations of the magazine, barracks and other buildings are visible inside the walls. The area within and bordering the fort has been extensively cleared for park development as exhibited in the map accompanying this form. The region north and east between the fort and the park boundary have been demolished for the development of the park, an action which probably caused serious damage to any historical ruins and archaeological resources.[3]
See also
- Russian colonization of the Americas
- Orthodox Church in Hawaii
- Fort Alexander
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the National Park Service
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Russian Fort". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
- ^ a b c d Benjamin Levy (August 1978), National Register of Historic Places/National Historic Landmark 1978 Update: Russian Fort (pdf), National Park Service, retrieved 2009-10-30
- ISBN 0919642500
- ^ William DeWitt Alexander (1891). A brief history of the Hawaiian people. American Book Company. p. 162.
- ^ "Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park". official state park web site. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ^ "Russian Fort/ Fort Elizabeth". National Park Service. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- ISBN 0824824040.
Further reading
- Mills, Peter (2002). Hawaii's Russian Adventure – A New Look at Old History.
- Hommon, Robert J.; Stauder, Catherine; Cox, David W.; Ching, Francis K.W. (September 1975), Preliminary Report on Archeological and Historical Research at Fort Elisabeth (Phase I), Waimea, Kona, Kaua'i Island (PDF), Lawa'i: Archeological Research Center Hawaii, retrieved 29 November 2020 – via Fort Ross Conservancy
External links
- Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church of Hawaii
- "Russian Fort Elizabeth". Discover Kauai web site: West Side. Kauai Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- "Fort Elizabeth". Discover Kauai web site: West Side. Virtual Fort Elizabeth project. Retrieved 2015-08-19.