Historic Huelo
Along Maui's Hana Highway

by J.M. Buck

Nestled between Hoalua and Waipi'o bays along Maui's rugged northern shoreline is the rural community of Huelo. Once home to over 75,000 Hawaiians, the windswept hills and lush valleys of the region are sprinkled with archaeological remnants of days past: reminders of old traditions that are still alive in this remote area.
The turnoff to Huelo is marked by little more than a makeshift bus shelter, a double row of mailboxes and a Hawai'i Visitors Bureau sign located at mile marker 3 1/2 on the Hana Highway. Door of Faith Church Road runs through the heart of Huelo, and in a place where almost all the street names are Hawaiian, the name of the road is one of the first things that takes you by surprise.
The Kahiamo'e family built the Door of Faith Church in the 1950s. The simple, wooden structure that gave the road its name was constructed from lumber taken from plantation homes of Lahaina's Pu'ukoli'i Camp after it was demolished.
The church is the subject of a "Wild West"-type legend. It is rumored that the original founder of Door of Faith Church, John Kahiamo'e, grew angry with one of the ladies that attended Kaulanapueo Church, which at the time was the only house of worship in Huelo. In a fit of rage, Kahiamo'e lassoed the woman and dragged her behind his horse. The tall tale concludes with Kahiamo'e being cast out from Kaulanapueo Church, and soon founding his own church, Door of Faith. According to Kahiamo'e's son, Moses "Moki" Kahiamo'e, a native of Huelo, this rumor is absolutely false. "That was school-kid days for him," said Kahiamo'e. "He didn't drag anyone behind a horse. It had nothing to do with the church, for sure."
The old house of worship is currently under renovation, with a large new meeting hall being built on the grounds.
A couple hundred yards down the winding road from Door of Faith Church is the Kaulanapueo Church. Built in 1853, the building is reminiscent of the early Calvinist churches of New England. Rising up from a meticulously manicured lawn, the whitewashed coral and mortar church stands in stark contrast to its surrounding skirt of red ti plants and orange lilies that spring from the earth like happy dancers. The church, with its gunmetal gray tin roof and plantation green steeple, is still in use today. The interior speaks of a no-nonsense minimalism: hard wooden pews, a simple pulpit. There are no fancy stained glass windows, no elaborate wall ornaments to distract worshippers from the matter at hand.
Several Huelo families still hold lands they received from King Kamehameha III during the Great Mahele (land division) of 1848. In the footsteps of their ancestors they raise taro, beef, fruit and other crops. Lo'i, as the diked fields for growing taro are called, can be seen along Waipi'o Iki stream. Local farmers have restored many of these lo'i, and the stream-flooded fields continue to produce the staple food of the Hawaiian Islands.
The Huelo of today has no store, just the fruit on the trees. No movie theatre, simply the quiet drama of watching storms sweep across the cobalt surface of the Pacific. No nightlife, except watching shooting stars from a lounge chair on the lanai. No dazzling city lights. No noise except for birds and crickets and the wind whispering through the trees. No traffic jams. And unless there is a satellite dish (which many places have), no television.
There are phones, though. Until recently, all of Huelo was on a single party line, making private conversation virtually impossible. Twenty-first Century phone service finally arrived a few years ago, giving everyone separate phone lines. Most homes in the area rely on catchment systems to supply water to their homes, and many use solar and wind-generated energy for electricity, as there are no power lines to dwellings in more remote areas.
What Huelo does have are spectacular waterfalls, top-notch hiking, a number of bed and breakfasts, and several retreat centers. Tourists and kama'aina in the know jump at the chance to spend time at one of the many private vacation rentals in the area, and for those coming from the Lahaina area, it is an excellent place to stay overnight before traveling to Hana the next day.
Huelo welcomes you to experience its secret treasures. Whether for a day or for a lifetime, a visit to this hidden jewel is always time well spent.

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