Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church
National Register of Historic Places

Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church

Kaimu, Hawaii County, Hawaii
Listed
May 13, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97000407

About this property

The Star of the Sea Painted Church is a Catholic Church in Kalapana, Hawai'i, United States of America. It was built in 1927-1928 under the direction of a Belgian Catholic missionary, Father Evarist Gielen. Father Evarist Gielen was the serving priest in the district of Puna, Hawaii between 1927 and 1941, constructing a number of churches during his time on the island. He constructed the church at Kalapana shortly after his arrival in 1927, with it being completed in 1928. The church is approximately 22 by 36 feet (6.7 m × 11.0 m), constructed from wood with a corrugated metal roof. Father Evarist painted the interior of the church himself, using housepaints and linseed to cover the walls with images of Bible stories, and Hawaiian and Catholic history. Additionally, the church has two stained glass windows, created by Kenneth Burkhardt a local artisan in the 1980s, depicting Hawaii's saints, Father Damian and Marianne Cope, who both helped to cure leprosy on Molokai. Additional paintings were added in the 1960s by George Heidler and in the 1970s George Lorch. In 1990, the church was moved to its present location just ahead of an advancing lava flow. Congregants strapped the building to a trailer in order to move the building. It is now located on Highway 130 between mile marker 19 and 20. It is on the National Register of Historic Places for its historical relationship with Father Damien, or Joseph Damien de Veuster. The church has since been decommissioned by the church, and mass is now only celebrated once a month, by priests visiting the island.

Location

Kaimu, Hawaii County, Hawaii
19.37309, -154.96428

Categories

RELIGIONART
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Puna-Ka'u Historic District
Listed
15.6 mi
Ainahou Ranch
Industrial
17.4 mi
Old Volcano House No. 42
Civil War
19.6 mi
Whitney Seismograph Vault No. 29
Industrial
19.6 mi
Kilauea Crater
Listed
20.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church listed on the National Register?

Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church?

Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church?

The period of significance for Star of the Sea Church-Kalapana Painted Church is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1927.

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