Fort Kamehameha (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Honolulu · Hawaii · World War II
History & Significance
Fort Kamehameha was established in 1907 as a United States Army military base housing coastal artillery batteries designed to defend Pearl Harbor. Built on land that had been royal Hawaiian property acquired by Kamehameha I in the 1790s and later owned by Bernice Pauahi Bishop and Queen Emma of Hawaii, the fort was officially acquired by the federal government in 1907.
Originally named Fort Upton for General Emory Upton, on January 28, 1909 the fort was renamed Fort Kamehameha to honor Kamehameha I, the first king of the unified Hawaiian Islands. Fort Kamehameha played an important role within a system of coastal defenses of the Army Coast Artillery Corps that served as a key component of the national defense of the United States in the early 20th century.
Between 1911 and 1914 the Army Corps of Engineers built four batteries at Fort Kamehameha (Selfridge, Hasbrouck, Hawkins, and Jackson), adding a fifth one (Battery Closson) in 1920, which were key sections of Oahu's 'ring of steel' that included Forts Armstrong, DeRussy, and Ruger. Officers' houses were built in 1916, and a chapel added in 1940.
After World War II, coastal artillery became obsolete, and most of the non-residential buildings were demolished. On October 1, 1992, the fort's 506 acres became part of Hickam Air Force Base. The remaining 33 homes stand as examples of the Bungalow/Arts and Crafts style of the era, earning it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Kamehameha
- https://www.loc.gov/item/hi0981/
- https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/fort-kamehameha/
- https://historichawaii.org/article/fort-kamehameha-2008/
- https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/us-army-hawaii-pearl-harbor
- https://dod.hawaii.gov/blog/fort-ruger-and-the-hawaii-national-guard/