What the history of Hawaii’s oldest building tells us about overtourism
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Hawaii’s oldest building, the Hawaiian Mission Houses, are a controversial symbol of what happened in Oahu in the 19th century and how a few missionaries of English and American origin, built business empires that shaped every aspect of life on the Hawaiian Islands.
The first mission house was built in Oahu in 1821 with materials brought to Hawaii, via Cape Horn, from Boston. The houses were built in New England-style, accounting for the climate the missionaries had experienced back home.
The first of the mission houses was occupied by the Chamberlain family, although, other missionary families also lived in the building from time to time. In 1841, a porch and balcony were added to the building, as well as an extra bedroom.
The foundation which takes care of the mission houses, which have been converted to a museum, was founded in 1920, ninety-nine years after the first mission houses were built on the Hawaiian Islands.
The arrival of more and more foreigners to Hawaii quickly followed and was especially accelerated after Hawaii was granted statehood. Hawaiian locals are still grappling today with the effects of generations of tourism, how this industry shaped life in Hawaii, and how one building started an inward migration of tens of thousands of people to the Hawaiian Islands. Today, as Hawaii’s travel industry begins to reopen it is necessary to think about how we can make sure travel to the Hawaiian Islands is safe, healthy, environmentally friendly, and economically sustainable.
