Russian Fort Elizabeth
Pā'ula'ula State Historical Park (Russian Fort Elizabeth) is a National Historic Landmark and is administered as the Pā'ula'ula State Historical Park just southeast of present-day Waimea on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi.[3] It is located at the site of the former Fort Elizavety (Russian: Форт Елизаветы), the last remaining Russian fort on the Hawaiian islands, built in the early 19th century by the Russian-American Company as the result of an alliance with High Chief Kaumualiʻi.[2] The star fort was employed by the Kingdom of Hawaii in the 19th century under the name Fort Hipo (Hawaiian: Paʻulaʻula o Hipo).
Nearest city
Dismantling[edit]
Schäffer was also involved in a secret mission to Hawaii in 1816, where he tried to persuade King Kamehameha I to accept Russian protection and establish a naval base on the island of Kauai[6]. However, his plan was foiled by British and American diplomats, who convinced the king to reject the Russian offer. Prince Alexander Bagration returned to Russia in 1817, and continued his military career until his retirement in 1821. The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi tasked Kauaʻi pioneer Valdemar Knudsen with the removal of armaments from the fort. Similar work was being done in that era across the kingdom with other forts being dismantled at Kailua-Kona, Lāhainā and along the waterfront at the old port of Honolulu. In a letter sent to Honolulu, Knudsen listed an inventory of the guns at the fort following a survey made in 1862. They included 60 flintlock muskets, 16 swords, 12 18-pound cannon, 26 4- and 6-pound cannon, 6 heavy guns and 24 little guns. During the decommissioning of the fort in 1864, while Knudsen was loading armaments and munitions for sale as scrap metal onto a schooner in Waimea Bay, one or two cannons fell into the murky waters of Waimea Bay.
Significance[edit]
This large stone construction is the most magnificent reminder of the attempts by the Russians for gaining an influential position in the Hawaiian Islands during the early 19th century. Alexander Baranov, governor of the Russian American Company at Sitka, wished to open trade with the Hawaiian Islands to obtain food for the Alaska settlements and sent several vessels for this purpose. One of these ships was wrecked at Waimea, Kauai, in 1815; and the next year Baranov sent Dr. Georg Anton Scheffer for recovering the cargo and, likely, to open a permanent Russian trading post or to gain SL political foothold. Scheffer was successful in quickly gaining influence over King Kaumualii, of Kauai, and in the summer of 1816 persuaded the latter to sign an agreement giving the Russians special trading and economic privileges on Kauai and Oahu. In a failed attempt to build a fort at Honolulu, Scheffer went back to Kauai to consolidate his position with Kaumualii. His aim, evidently, was to convince the king to declare his independence of Kamehameha and enter under Russian protection. He primarily erected an earthwork at Hanalei; and, sometime between April and October, 1817, he built a strong stone fort at Waimea, over which the Russian flag was flown.[2][8]
The Waimea establishment was a huge one. In addition, the fort was equipped with guns and quarters for troops, Scheffer owned a factory or trading house, with gardens and houses for a staff of about 30 families. Apparently, the fort was not fully completed by the Fall of 1817. By that time Scheffer's peremptory conduct had alienated the Hawaiians. Acting on orders from Kamehameha, the Russians were ousted by Kaumualii.
After the departure of Scheffer from the islands, Hawaiian troops occupied the fort evidently in October 1817. In 1820, a 21-gun salute was fired when the brig Thaddeus came up with the son of Kaumualii, who had been attending school in the United States. The first mission settlement of the Protestants on Kauai took place on the river bank close to the fort. Around 1853, the fort was abandoned because the Hawaiian garrison was withdrawn.[3][9]
Physical structure[edit]
Varying in cross measurement from 300 to 450 feet, the structure is in the form of ‘an irregular octagon’. The outer walls are made of piled stone; the walls are from 25 to 45 feet thick and about 20 feet high, and remain in good condition. The foundations of the magazine, barracks and other buildings are visible inside the walls. The area within and bordering the fort has been extensively cleared for park development as exhibited in the map accompanying this form. The region north and east between the fort and the park boundary have been demolished for the development of the park, an action which probably caused serious damage to any historical ruins and archaeological resources.[3]