Hale Pa'i

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  • Address
    980 Lahainaluna Rd, Lahaina
  • Phone
    667 7040

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Lonely Planet review

The cottage at the side of Lahainaluna High School, Hale Pa'i, housed Hawaii's first printing press. Although its primary mission was making the Bible available to Hawaiians, the press also produced other works, including the first Hawaiian botany book and, in 1834, Hawaii's first newspaper. Heavily used, the original Ramage press wore out in the 1850s, but several of the items printed from it are still on display.

Should you want to try your hand as a 19th-century pressman, a replica of the original equipment can be used to hand-press your own copy of a page from the first Hawaiian primer. Reprints of amusing 'Temperance Maps' (around US$5 ) drawn by an early missionary to illustrate the perils of drunkenness make unique souvenirs.