Discovering a Sense of Place

In our hectic, fast-paced, consumer-driven society … many of us are re-discovering the healing and empowering role that community can bring to our lives. The sense of belonging we feel when we make the time to take an active role in our communities can give us a deeper sense of meaning and purpose. ~Robert Alan

Whether it’s a weekend or a week, given economic conditions and hassles associated with travel, a lot of us are staying closer to home these days when we have the opportunity to take time off.

The “Staycation” trend may have been born as a result of economic issues, but I think we’ve since realized there are many other benefits of getting reacquainted with our neighborhoods … such as supporting local businesses, and reconnecting with a sense of heritage and belonging to the community.

In Hawaii, this feeling is known as “sense of place.”

In Maui, one of my favorite neighborhood haunts, and one of the first places I take visiting guests, was once the home of the Hawaiian Monarch, King Kahekili II.

The large, white-washed home known as the Bailey House Museum is located in Central Maui near the mouth of Iao Valley in Wailuku, and within the former royal compound of Chief Kahekili II, (1713-1794) who ruled the Islands of Maui, Molokai and Oahu.

The original, or “Old Bailey House” as it’s sometimes called, was one of the first western-style houses in Maui. Built in 1833 as a mission for both adults and children, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Bailey House namesake, Edward Bailey traveled with his wife from Massachusetts in 1837 and arrived in Hawaii aboard the ship “Mary Frazier.” A missionary teacher, Bailey purchased the home in 1850. An avid landscape painter, Bailey painted about 100 canvases in his lifetime, many of which still hang in the museum today and provide a wonderful glimpse into nineteenth-century life in Maui.

The museum consists of 2 floors and houses more than 1,500 Hawaiian and missionary era artifacts. The first floor holds numerous displays of native Hawaiian artifacts— spears and daggers of shark teeth, quilts and tapa cloth, ancient wooden bowls, and even a wooden temple statue previously hidden in an upcountry cave for a century.

The second floor is arranged to depict a nineteenth-century missionary home, with displays of furniture and quilts from the era, along with dresses worn by missionary women.

One of the most popular treasures is located outside the home in a display featuring famed surfer Duke Kahanamoku’s 1919 redwood surfboard and an early twentieth-century 33-foot canoe made from a single koa log—one of the last built.

The lush grounds and gardens surrounding the Bailey House are stunning, and often serve as the setting for weddings, intimate local concerts and other special events. In fact, I’ve held sales retreats on the open air veranda as well as under the shade of the massive trees.

I must confess I have a special soft spot for the museum’s gift shop. They have a small, but quality collection of books on local history and Hawaiian culture, and many of the items featured are locally-made. In fact, this shop is one of the very few places in Maui I’ve found high quality, handmade feather leis. My favorite purchase (so far) is a single strand lei made from brilliant blue and green peacock feathers.

From its earliest days the Bailey House was a popular community gathering place, and that hasn’t changed. Much more than simply a museum, there are featured speakers and special exhibits as well as an extensive archive containing thousands of documents and photographs available for research.

If you find yourself heading to Maui, I hope you’ll include a visit to the Bailey House, but I’d also like to encourage you to become reacquainted with your own community. It’s easy to overlook, or forget about the local treasures we have in our own back yards.

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