Baldwin House

Lonely Planet review

The oldest Western-style building in Lahaina is the Baldwin House, erected in 1834 by Reverend Dwight Baldwin, a missionary doctor. It served as both his home and Lahaina's first medical clinic. The coral and rock walls are a hefty 24in thick, which keeps the house cool year-round. The exterior walls are now plastered over, but you can get a sense of how they originally appeared by looking at the Masters' Reading Room next door.

Think your flight to Hawaii was long? It took the Baldwins 161 days to get here from their native Connecticut. These early missionaries traveled neither fast nor light, and the house still holds the collection of china and furniture they brought with them around the Horn. Also on display are some fine Hawaiian quilts and period clothing.