The H.N. Greenwell Store
An 1890s Living History Experience

The H.N. Greenwell Store was listed on the Hawaii State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1980.

Constructed by Englishman Henry Nicholas Greenwell in 1870, the store once served the Euro-American immigrant community with supplies and goods needed in the remote Kona district. From his headquarters here at the Greenwell Store, H.N. Greenwell amassed thousands of acres of ranch land where he and his sons helped to develop the Kona ranching industry of the late 19th century. His wife Elizabeth Caroline Greenwell ran the store in her husband's absence and was joined as storekeeper by her daughter-in-law Maud Greenwell during the 1930s.

The H.N. Greenwell Store is the oldest surviving store in Kona and one of the oldest buildings in the district. In May of 2006, restoration work was begun. The original coral lime mortar and later patches were removed and replaced with a modern version of putty lime mortar. The ceiling boards were removed and replaced when necessary, but the initials "HNG" can still be seen on some of the boards. Shutters and trim were repainted using the original colors, and a stabilizing diaphragm was installed in the attic, thus saving the building from major damage during the October 2006 earthquake.

It has taken many hours of planning and research to accurately recreate the details of the interior. The first step was to look at the community here in the 1890s- the population, ethnicities, and the different occupations- and try to assess what their needs were and what Mr. Greenwell would have purchased for them. Some of HNG's diary entries talk about what he was ordering for the store, and an actual inventory list of his was obtained from the Bishop Museum. Inventory lists of other 19th century stores and suppliers in the area were also helpful.

The H.N. Greenwell Store is open
Monday-Friday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

• Admission is $7.00 for adults, and $3.00 for children ages 5-12. Children under 5 are free. Reservations are not needed, but you may call us to check availability.

The H.N. Greenwell Store, ca. 1930. Visitors may walk through the grounds. Visitors gather to "talk story" about the fascinating history of Kona.	Cowboys stop by the store to purchase supplies, ca. 1900.
	Costumed interpreters show visitors the authentic period goods."
	The store was built of lava rock and coral lime mortar.

A visit to the H.N. Greenwell Store at Kalukalu will take you back in time, to Kona mauka in the 1890s, a multi-ethnic society centered on ranching and farming. This place was the hub of the community, and our living history program here tells the story of this unique time and place.

A visit to the H.N. Greenwell Store at Kalukalu is a
fun and enriching experience for people of all ages.

• Costumed interpreters greeting and interacting with visitors.
• A State and National Historic Site that represents a significant theme in Hawaiian and American history.
• A beautiful site with interpretive panels, trees, places to sit, and ocean views.
• Handicapped accessible.
• Two comfortable restrooms.
• Easy parking for cars and buses.
• Close to the Kona Historical Society's Kona Coffee Living History Farm.
• A living history experience that will transport the visitor to an earlier time, portraying daily life in the Kingdom of Hawaii in the 1890s.

When you walk into the restored Greenwell Store you cross the threshold into the 1890's. As you enter the broad front doors, the mingled aromas of a general store serving the needs of Kona ranches wafts through the air. The scents of salted salmon, saddle soap, neat's foot oil, coffee beans, oranges, rawhide, cattle, horses, and wool blend together again, just as they did in the Greenwell Store over 100 years ago when Henry and Elizabeth Greenwell sold goods here in the heyday of Kona ranching.

Stocked with accurate reproductions of goods that filled the shelves and hung from the ceiling joists, the store offers a glimpse of activities at Kalukalu over a century ago. Close your eyes and be transported back in time as the storekeeper offers St. Jacobs Oil to cure your arthritis or rheumatism. Check out the store merchandise as the clerk assembles your order of denim trousers, woolen long johns, coffee beans, tobacco, rice, calico yard goods, a 24-length of rope to tie off your horse, and a parasol to protect the ladies from the bright Kona sun. You will be tempted to purchase a new Paniolo saddle made with a Hawaiian saddletree or some dry poi, called pa'i'ai, and some wild dog poison for your next trip mauka. Before leaving, share some gossip about local people and events.

You won't leave this place without feeling that you have been transported back in time for a rare glimpse into Kona's colorful past.