Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium
About this property
The Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium, also called Fale Laumei ("Turtle House") in Samoan, is the largest indoor meeting space in the United States territory of American Samoa. It is located in the village of Utulei, surrounded by other government buildings. The main body of the building is a roughly ovoid structure, with a curved roof (finished with wooden shakes) that is reminiscent of the thatch roofs of traditional Samoan structures. The auditorium was built in 1962 under orders from Governor Hyrum Rex Lee as part of a major initiative to modernize the territory's infrastructure and facilities. It was built by a construction squadron of the United States Navy, and was completed in time for the 1962 South Pacific Conference. It was later named in honor of Lee, who was the territory's longest-serving governor, and oversaw much of its modernization. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. It was built to house the delegates of the 1962 South Pacific Conference. The structure would later be known as Fale Laumei (Turtle House). In 2017, the Fono building in Fagatogo was demolished and the House of Representatives began utilizing the auditorium's North Wing — which faces KVZK-TV and the main Education Department building — for legislative meetings.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium
This page lists Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium listed on the National Register?
Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 2010.
What type of historic resource is Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium?
Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium?
The period of significance for Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More historic places in American Samoa
Browse all historic places in American Samoa.
View American Samoahistoric sites ›American Samoa history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
American Samoahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.