An old-fashioned stone church building with bell tower and corrugated metal roof sits among coconut palm trees, nestled at the foot of Haleakala mountain in Keanae on the way to Hana, Maui–a tropical Hawaiian scene that makes it easy to want to be there. The Keanae Peninsula surrounds the church with lush green foliage, tropical plants, and towering palms.
The Keanae Congregational Church, officially named the Lanakila Ihiihi O Iehova Ona Kaua Church, was built between 1857 and 1863 of fieldstone, lava rock, and coral mortar. A massive tsunami on April 1, 1946 destroyed nearly all other buildings on the Keanae Peninsula except this one.
