Capt. Isaac Hart (1805-1849), the builder of Hale Ali‘i, which was the original ‘Iolani Palace, and Washington Place, best known as the home of Queen Liliu‘okalani, was the great-great-grandfather of Oliver Crowell, born in 1939 at Waimea and now a resident of Honolulu.
Crowell’s mother, by the way, was Marie Keikilani Robinson, and his father was Edwin K. Crowell, who was a chief of police for the island of Kaua‘i.
Some time ago, Crowell wrote, “Capt. Isaac Hart, an American sea captain who frequented the ports of Hawai‘i, eventually settled in Honolulu and became a naturalized citizen of the kingdom of Hawai‘i.
“He was also an architect and builder in Honolulu, and built two homes that figured prominently in the history of Hawai‘i. Both were completed in 1846. One house was built for the governor of O‘ahu, Gov. Kekuanaoa. It was called Hale Ali‘i, a wood-and-stone building that served as the palace of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, King Lunalilo, and, finally, King Kalakaua, who had it razed to make way for the present ‘Iolani Palace.
“The second house was named Washington Place, after the father of our country, George Washington. Capt. Hart built it for another American sea captain, John Dominis. Designed and constructed by Capt. Hart, the stylish Greek-revival house stood on the outskirts of the village of Honolulu and towered over a barren landscape and thatched houses. It eventually became the home of our last monarch, Queen Liliu‘okalani, who lived there for 55 years. After her passing, it became the official residence of the governor of Hawai‘i, and remains so today.”
Oliver Crowell believes that Hart also built homes at Waimea.
Originally from Dartmouth, Mass., Hart may have come to Hawai‘i on one of the New Bedford, Mass. whalers.
His wife was Kahemanui (1820-1857) from the royal court on O‘ahu.
She was born at Lahaina, Maui, and they had one son, Issac H. Kapuniai Hart.
Several years ago, Oliver Crowell located Hart’s unmarked grave in O‘ahu Cemetery and ordered a stone plaque for him.
•••
Hank Soboleski has been a resident of Kauai since the 1960s. Hank’s love of the island and its history has inspired him, in conjunction with The Garden Island Newspaper, to share the island’s history weekly. The collection of these articles can be found here: https://bit.ly/2IfbxL9 and here https://bit.ly/2STw9gi Hank can be reached at hssgms@gmail.com
