Aloha kakahiaka,

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, which is right around the corner, it seems appropriate to look back on a news article from July 18, 1906. While it is not a love note per se, the author mentions Hānaiakamalama with fond remembrance and reverence. In the article, Jas W. Girvin showcases several notable landmarks to a visiting friend, one of which is the Queen Emma Summer Palace. He even references when the namesake of the Edinburgh Room came to visit, “The last I remember is was a great reception given to the Duke of Edinburgh when he was here in the Galatea in 1869. It was one of the most memorable of the luaus for which Hawaii nei has obtained a worldwide reputation.” 

Girvin also writes how his friend “hoped the government would… retain Hānaiakamalama as a park for ever, both from its ancient and for its intrinsic value as a park-site.” The article was written about ten years before the Daughters opened up the front rooms of the home for visitors as the Hānaiakamalama Museum, the first historic house museum in Hawai‘i. It has been over 100 years since then and the preservation of the Palace has faithfully continued on. Through your dues and donations as members, you all are contributing to the work we do today, which is an ongoing labor of love – a Valentine’s gift – for the royal family and for the future generations of Hawai‘i. So on that note, mahalo once again and Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!