Onomea:  The Mystery of the Unknown Church

By Nick Freeman, PhD

On December 19, 1988, the visitor center of the “Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden” in Hilo, Hawaii burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances. The cause of the fire was never determined.[1] the structure had previously been an historic native Hawaiian church that had been founded in the 1800’s as one of the six original apana chapels of the Haili Church at Hilo[2]. The building and its contents were all lost except for the original church bell. The newly renovated visitor center included the Onomea Museum, housed Hawaiian artifacts, including historic photographs of Onomea Valley, old calabashes and human hair necklaces.[3]

Ziona Hou Church as Visitors Center

Thirty-seven years later, in August 2025, this writer along with his wife visited the Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden during a short research trip to the Big Island. At the entrance of the garden the antique church bell is displayed along with an informational plaque that tells the story of the garden’s beginnings and the destruction by fire of the “old church” building in 1988. The bell is said to serve as a remembrance of the garden’s beginnings.[4]

Upon reading the bell plaque, this author was moved to endeavor to discover the name of the historic church and some of its story. This, however, proved harder than expected, as very few of the garden staff members at the time were familiar with any of its past details. However, they did provide one important clue. Photos of the church building before its use as the visitor center and after its renovation were posted on the garden’s Facebook page. These photos gave this author inspiration to pursue the subject further and the hunt was on. Stone upon stone was turned over, including contacting the Hilo property appraiser’s office, reviewing historical documents on the Hawaiian Mission Houses Digital Archive, checking for manufacturer or serial numbers on the bell itself, looking over a historical map provided by Hawaiian archive records, researching turn of the century newspaper articles, and reviewing several historical books including Na Kahu by authors Nancy J. Morris and Robert Benedetto.

Slowly but surely the details began to emerge. While Dan Lutkenhouse had begun carving the garden out of the jungle landscape, he discovered the nearby abandoned historic church building was scheduled for demolition in 1977. To save the structure, he placed a bid to purchase, which was accepted. He then moved the building closer to the garden location and converted it into an office and visitor center.[5]  At the time of purchase, the church was said to have been located on the Papaikou-Pepeekou Scenic drive.[6]

My in-depth research led me to conclude that this church is most likely the Onomea Church that was said to sit directly above the Onomea Arch. As a Haili Chapel, the church grew so fast that it became an independent congregation in the 1860’s.[7] The chapel was thriving with approximately 350 members in attendance weekly, most likely due to the rapid growth in population because of the nearby Onomea sugar processing plant’s need for workers. Nancy J. Morris and Robert Benedetto’s confirm the church’s first location in their work Na Kahu, writing that a church in this vicinity was known by two names, “Ziona Hou” translated “New Zion,” and “Onomea Church.”

Additional confirmation of its original location is found in Nettie Lyman’s work History of Haili Church 1824-1942, in which she describes, “The first “Ziona Hou” was in Onomea, above the arch.[8] This structure was said to have been torn due to wind damage and rebuilt at location nearer to populated areas. The Hilo Tribune noted on February 19, 1898, that “the steeple of the Onomea Hawaiian church had been blown off during the most recent Kona storm. The steeple tumbled down some ten feet from the building and stuck fast with the weathervane in the ground.[9]”

Earlier building of Ziona Hou Church

Upon relocation, the second church building was erected at Papaikou, on property belonging to Mary Kamai. The ownership of the church site was contested for many years, until it was finally settled by Mary Kamai who stated, “As long as people continue to come to this church the property shall be left as church property.[10]” According to Hilo property appraiser site, the Kamai property is thought to have been located near Koa’e Rd., in Papaikou.  

As the year passed, the congregation slowly reduced in number until it eventually became defunct and the building was abandoned. Albertine Loomis, in her work Haili Church: Ua laa no Iehova, 150 years 1824-1974, states that the second chapel had fallen into disrepair and was rarely used three years before “Aunty Rose” Keahi died[11], which was in 1967. This provides evidence that the chapel was holding services at least until the early 1960’s and perhaps explains its vacancy in 1977 at the time of the botanical garden development.[12] This seems to fit the historical timeline and sets the church in the right area for Lutkenhouse to purchase and move the church back closer to its original location.

In taking a closer look at the church’s history, Robert Benedetto’s work Na Hale Pule: Portraits of Native Hawaiian Churches, 1820-1900 proved invaluable. He states it was “organized in 1865 and had all native pastors during its history, including J.H. Pahio 1867-1885; Joseph S. Kalana, 1889; Job Nalau Kamoku, 1890-1891; Moses Charles Kealoha, 1892-1894; Charles Michael (Moses) Kamakawiwoole, 1895-1896; Daniel Kahooio, 1898; Stephen Langhern Desha, 1899-1900.[13]” Several of these pastors were also the lead pastor at the Haili Church in Hilo, including Rev. Kalana and Stephen Desha.  These pastors served both churches at the same time, as needed.  

Looking past 1900, gaps in the church’s timeline can be partially filled in here and there including a mention by a local paper in 1933 of Rev. E.K. Richardson being installed as pastor at Onomea.[14] Later, as he prepares to leave the church, an article in 1939 states, “Service at Onomea Church: Don't forget to come to the Sunday School Report that will be held this Sunday at the Temple of Onomea.' The Rev. E. K. Richardson, gave his last speech to his relatives, before he moved to another garden.[15] Rev. Richardson served as a Congregational church supply pastor for multiple churches in the area and later passed away in 1958.[16]

In August 1941 the church New Zion/Onomea of Papaikou is mentioned providing food and other supplies for the local Filipino church. [17] In 1944, Mrs. Rose Keahi was noted as the senior Sunday school teacher at Onomea church.[18] In 1959 the Honolulu Star-Advertiser provided a list of the present Hawaii Island Association of Congregational Christian Churches and Ministers which lists the church under both names, “Onomea” and “Ziona Hou” and notes that there is no permanent pastor, but the pastorate is handled by a “supplied” pastor,[19] which shows the church still in existence at that time, however not completely stable. In 1962, “Ziona Hou” church at Onomea, is again referenced as one of the Congregation Christian churches on the island of Hawaii, also noting Rev. David Kaupu as pastor.[20] Lastly, in this research endeavor, in 1971, Mrs. Mary Mahi, who had been the secretary for Ziona Hou Church,[21] is noted to have passed away.

No details after 1971 were uncovered. This study, therefore, concludes that after the congregation slowly broke up, the Onomea/Ziona Hou church with its bell sat vacant and abandoned for years until garden founder Dan Lutkenhouse discovered it. His purchase of the building not only saved the historic structure but also put it to good use as the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden’s visitor center and Onomea museum until its destruction by fire in 1988.

Solving the mystery of the garden bell’s beginnings has been a fruitful endeavor, as it has also led to unearthing a short biography of one of Hawaii’s first native Hawaiian churches of Onomea and Papaikou. These findings add richness not only to the garden’s story, but also to the history of one of the key early Hawaiian churches in the area.

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