Kawaiahao Church, Honolulu

Kawaiahao Church, often referred to as Hawaii's equivalent of Westminster Abbey, holds a significant historical and cultural status. In the past, it served as the national church of the Kingdom of Hawaii and served as the private chapel for the Hawaiian royal family. Despite not being the original structure, it stands as Hawaii's oldest existing Christian place of worship. The present Kawaiahao Church was constructed on the grounds where four smaller thatched churches once stood, and it was meticulously built using coral rock.

The name "Kawaiahao" originates from the Hawaiian phrase meaning "the water of Hao," which alludes to the site's origins as a spring and a small freshwater pool that was managed by High Chiefess Hao.

The commissioning of Kawaiahao Church took place during the reigns of Kings Kamehameha II and III. It was designed by Reverend Hiram Bingham, with a deliberate intention to emulate the architectural style of Hawaiian missionaries. The construction process involved the laborious task of quarrying coral rock by hand. This demanding process required highly skilled divers who had to descend to depths of up to 18 feet below sea level to cut out stone slabs. Subsequently, these slabs were transported from beneath the sea to the shore and then to the church construction site.

It was within the walls of Kawaiahao Church that King Kamehameha III famously uttered the phrase, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness," which eventually became the official motto of Hawaii.