Russian Fort Elizabeth

Infobox_nrhp2 | name =Russian Fort
nhl = yes


caption = Fort Elizabeth
nearest_city= Waimea, Hawaii
lat_degrees = 21
lat_minutes = 57
lat_seconds = 6.63
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 159
long_minutes = 39
long_seconds = 57.03
long_direction = W
locmapin = Hawaii
area =
built =1815
architect= Dr. Georg Anton Scheffer
architecture=
added = October 15, 1966
designated_nhl = December 29, 1962cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=190&ResourceType=Structure
title=Russian Fort|accessdate=2008-07-04|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = State
refnum=66000299cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Russian Fort Elizabeth is the last remaining Russian Fort in Hawaii. They were built in the early 19th century as the result of an alliance between High Chief Kaumualii and the Russian-American Company in its attempt to gain influence in Hawaii. It is a National Historic Landmark and is now part of the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park. [ [http://www.nr.nps.gov/writeups/66000299.nl.pdf NHL Summary] ]

History

In 1815, Russian doctor Georg Scheffer, an agent of the Russian-American Company, arrived in Hawaii to gain trading privileges from King Kamehameha I, who had created a kingdom incorporating all the islands of Hawaii. The Russian went to Kauai, nominally under the control of King Kaumualii, to salvage Russian cargo being held in Waimea. Once on Kauai, Scheffer gained the confidence of Kauai High Chief Kaumualii when he promised that Tsar Alexander I of Russia would help him to break free of Kamehameha's rule. Officially, Kauai had pledged allegiance to Kamehameha, however, Kaumualii thought he could reclaim his own kingdom with the help of Russia.Kaumualii allowed Scheffer to build a fort near Waimea and two others near Hanalei on Kauai. Also known as "Pa`ula`ula o Hipo", or "Fort Elisabeth", Russian Fort Elizabeth was constructed in 1816 on the east bank of the Waimea River overlooking Waimea Bay, as a result of the alliance between High Chief Kaumualii and the Russian-American Company. This beautiful Fort housed a small Russian Orthodox chapel, this was Hawaii's first Orthodox Christian church. Fort Alexander also housed a small Orthodox chapel. When it was discovered that Scheffer did not have the backing of the Tsar, he was forced to leave Kauai in 1817. Russian Fort Elizabeth eventually came under the control of Kamehameha supporters and years later was used to put down a rebellion by Kaumualii's son, George Prince Kaumualii. It was abandoned in 1853 [ [http://www.nr.nps.gov/Red%20Books/66000299.red.pdf NHL Red Book] ]

The Kingdom of Hawaii tasked Kauai pioneer Valdemar Knudsen with the removal of armaments from the fort. Similar work was being done in that era across the kingdom with other forts being dismantled at Kailua-Kona, Lahaina and along the waterfront at the old port of Honolulu. In a letter sent to Honolulu, Knudsen listed an inventory of the guns at the fort following a survey made in 1862. They included 60 flintlock muskets, 16 swords, 12 18-pound cannon, 26 4- and 6-pound cannon, 6 heavy guns and 24 little guns.

Dismantling

Following the decommissioning of the fort in 1864, while Knudsen was loading armaments and munitions for sale as scrap metal onto a schooner in Waimea Bay, one or two cannons fell into the murky waters of Waimea Bay.

Research

Details of the dismantling of the fort appear in Peter Mills' book "Hawaii's Russian Adventure - A New Look at Old History", published in 2002. Mills is an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and chair of its Anthropology Department, and has led archaeological field surveys of the Russian Fort area.

ee also

*Orthodox Church in Hawaii
*Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park

References

External links

* [http://www.kauai-hawaii.com/destinations.php?59 Kauai County: Russian Fort Elizabeth]
* [http://www.hawaiiweb.com/kauai/html/sites/russian_fort_elizabeth.html Fort Elizabeth]
* [http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org/ Holy Theotokos of Iveron Russian Orthodox Church of Hawaii]