The Honokaa Heritage Center has officially opened in its new downtown location at the historic Botelho building.
The center is comprised of photographs, stories and artifacts from exhibits showcased by the Ko Education Center’s Heritage Center, which was operated by the University of Hawaii system.
The center entered an agreement with UH and formed a nonprofit called the North Hawaii Heritage Foundation to establish the center on Mamane Street.
Exhibits at the Honokaa Heritage Center focus on the extensive history of the sugar industry in Honokaa along with the groups of people who came to Hawaii to work on the plantations.
“We wanted to bring the center downtown to generate more interest in our phenomenal town and to promote our history,” said outgoing director Momi Naughton. “It will serve three functions — as a museum, a visitor center and a store that carries local products.”
The museum features exhibits relevant to the history and culture of Honokaa and the Hamakua Coast. One of the exhibits includes information and photographs pertaining to the history and ecosystem of Waipio Valley.
“We looked at past exhibits and pulled out things we thought would be of interest to visitors and the local community,” Naughton said. “While we want visitors to enjoy the island, we also want to educate them on the importance of Waipio and its fragile ecosystem.”
Naughton hopes that moving the center to its new location will bring more traffic from visitors driving through Honokaa while on their way to Waipio Valley.
“There isn’t a visitor center, so we want to offer that, so people can see our history while getting information about the Hamakua Coast,” Naughton said. “One big focus for us is to promote the town and the businesses in town.”
The center’s new location at the Botelho Building lends itself to displaying local artifacts since it was built as a Ford automobile dealership in 1927.
“The buildings in Honokaa show how intact the history of this town is,” Naughton said. “This town has been preserved, and we want to give residents and visitors a comprehensive history of the area.”
In one of the Botelho Building’s windows, the center will be displaying different exhibits made by various ethnic groups that will tell stories about their culture.
With help from the Honokaa Hongwanji Mission and the Hamakua Jodo Mission, the window currently displays items and information pertaining to obon, a Japanese Buddhist custom that honors the spirits of one’s ancestors.
Naughton currently manages the museum along with volunteers. In a couple months, Nicole Garcia will be taking over Naughton’s duties and role as director of the center after completing the Heritage Management program at UH-Hilo.
The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com