Lahaina Banyan Court Park

Lahaina Banyan Court Park is a public park in the town of Lahaina, Hawaii, The 1.94 acres (0.79 ha) park, also known as Lahaina Courthouse Square and commonly called Banyan Tree Park, contains multiple heritage sites. Located at the corner of Front Street and Canal Street, it is part of the Lahaina Historic Districts.

Lahaina Banyan Court Park
Lahaina Banyan Court Park facing east from the corner of Hotel and Wharf Street, in 2007
Location within Hawaii
Lahaina Banyan Court Park (Maui)
Lahaina Banyan Court Park (Hawaii)
TypeNatural Area
LocationLahaina, Maui
Coordinates20°52′18″N 156°40′39″W
Area1.94 acres (0.79 ha)
Created1873 (1873)
Operated byCounty of Maui
OpenAll year
ParkingLimited public parking

The park occupies the site of the Old Lahaina Fort, originally built in 1831. Hoapili, the Royal Governor of Maui, built the fort to protect the town from riotous sailors when Lahaina was used as an anchorage for the North Pacific whaling fleet. After the fort was demolished in 1854, a courthouse was built on the site. A portion of the old Lahaina Fort was reconstructed in 1964. The old Lahaina Courthouse was recognized as a contributing property of the Lahaina Historic District in 1965, and was used by the Lahaina Arts Society, Lahaina Restoration Foundation and the Lahaina Town Action Committee.

Sheriff William Owen Smith planted an Indian banyan tree in the courtyard square in 1873 to memorialize the 50th anniversary of the first American Protestant mission in Lahaina. The banyan tree was the largest banyan tree in Hawaii, and one of the largest banyan trees in the United States. Its extensive trunk and aerial root system now covers 0.66 acres (0.27 ha). The park is managed by the County of Maui and the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

The property, including the courthouse and the tree, were engulfed by the 2023 Hawaii wildfires from August 8–9, which burned the historic town of Lahaina. The banyan tree was damaged and the Old Lahaina Court House was destroyed. Disaster recovery efforts are underway to determine the scope of the damage.

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