Historic KCC Chapel to get a much needed face lift

HONOLULU—Kaimuki residents may know the chapel at the Kapiolani Community College (KCC) best as the site for Taiko drumming or a good pit stop before or after the KCC Saturday farmers’ market. Indeed, the 85-year-old chapel is a well known landmark within the community, standing in sharp contrast to the low-slung architecture that describes the surrounding campus buildings. What residents may not know is that the historic building is suffering from major physical deterioration.

The chapel originally hosted church services for the Fort Ruger military community. Fort Ruger was Oahu’s earliest U.S. Army coastal defense fortification, established in 1909 and home to four mortar batteries that were built on Diamond Head to defend Honolulu Harbor. 

Fort Ruger has since been decommissioned and is remembered as a tourist spot in Diamond Head Crater and as a training area for the Hawaii National Guard. The Fort made the list of Hawaii’s historic places on November 19, 1982. It was then added to the national register of historic places on July 14, 1983.

Today, the chapel is KCC’s oldest building on campus and the strongest connection between the college and the Fort Ruger historic district, which is primarily comprised of Diamond Head Crater, but also includes the land upon which the KCC was built.

Since the 1970s, when the KCC started its move to its current site on the slopes of Diamond Head, the chapel has served in a strictly secular capacity as an educational facility; both KCC credit and non-credit classes are held at the site. The building’s large size also makes it perfect for Taiko, as well as yoga and interpretive dance. 

In addition, the chapel is a popular venue for community service gatherings. Non-profit organizations can rent the space for $100 per hour. In fact, any community group can file an application with KCC to use the chapel at a specific time, as long as there is an opening in the chapel’s schedule.

However, despite its current relevance as a community and educational resource, in 2009, the Chapel was added to the growing list of Hawaii’s Most Endangered Historic Sites. Although structurally sound, extensive wood rot and termite damage have seriously weakened the historic building. Various repairs, restorations, and new paint are in order. 

A proposal for a capital improvement project was formalized in Representative Barbara Marumoto’s 19th House district CIP bill. Soon, Scott Nishimoto and Les Ihara were on board and the Legislature passed the proposal. The next step was to get the governor to release the $575,000 that was requested. 

Restoration is widely supported within the surrounding community, who value the iconic structure that is a unique vestige of an earlier era.  Over 500,000 tourists visit Diamond head every year; the crater entrance is just across from the Chapel, making it a highly visible landmark.  Its cultural capital combined with its practical value as a community resource united local residents to get the restoration project into the State budget. On September 20, it was announced that Gov. Linda Lingle released the funds.

According to Carol Hoshiko, KCC’s Dean for Culinary, Hospitality, and College Advancement, the college recently completed a long-range development plan during which it was revealed that the “chapel is one of the most cherished places on campus.”

A longtime supporter of the chapel’s restoration, Hoshiko said she was very pleased by this positive step but points out that a timetable for the project’s completion cannot be determined until the funds are actually in the school’s hands. 

To get involved with Friends of the Chapel, a group that brings together representatives from the community’s public and private sectors to develop a collaborative plan for the chapel’s future, call Dean Hoshiko at (808) 734-9567.