Kohola
Kamehameha I (Thomas Ridgeway Gould, 1878-1880)
Kamehameha, the legendary first King of Hawaii, was born in Kohola on the Big Island,
where the statue now stands. Kamehameha I was lost in a shipwreck on its way from
France before it was salvaged, restored, and brought to Hawaii. Every other year, the
statue is repainted in life-like colors, and at the annual Kamehameha Day in June, members
of the community drape colorful leis over the statue and hold a parade in his honor. The
statue is in urgent need of conservation, having been exposed to a number of harsh
elements in a lifespan of over one hundred years.