Chinatown survived two tragic fires, now one of the oldest in US

HONOLULU (KHON2) – In the ahupuaʻa of Honolulu, which lies in the moku of Kona here on Oʻahu, stands a district that was almost completely destroyed.

We are speaking of Chinatown.

Chinatown of today is the result of an ever-changing community that has be evolving since the days of the sugar plantations.

Fortunately, what is now considered as one of the oldest Chinatowns across the United States, has survived not just one, but two drastic fires.

The first happened in 1886 when a fire accidentally broke out in a restaurant on the corner of Hotel and Smith Streets.

After burning for 3 days, 8 blocks were destroyed.

With the intention of preventing future disasters, Chinatown was rebuilt.

But the new ordinances established failed to be enforced allowing wooden, ramshackle buildings to be erected once again.

In 1899, Chinatown was hit with an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague leading to the death of 13 people by the turn of the century.

So, a series of controlled fires were set to prevent its spread of the disease, but tragedy struck once again when the old Kaumakapili Church that once stood in this vicinity caught a blaze.

The Honolulu Board of Health ordered the Fire Department to destroy all buildings in which a person was infected.

Beginning January 1, 1900, over 40 fires were successfully set with no issues.

However, on January 20th, the winds unexpectedly shifted.

Embers from the controlled flames landed on the wooden steeples of Kaumakapili Church which quickly caught fire.

Burning for 17 days, the fire led to the destruction of 38 acres of Honolulu and leaving over 4,000 people homeless.

Today, most of the oldest buildings in Chinatown date back to the early 1900s, with a few that have survived the fire, including what is now Murphy’s Bar & Grill which was built in 1890.

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