Fort St.

In the ahupuaʻa of Honolulu, which lies in the moku of Kona here on Oʻahu, stands a short street which was once a longer a distance, but then was turned into a pedestrian mall.
We are speaking of Fort St.
In the early 1800s, Russians arrived in the islands for food.
King Kamehameha I allowed them to build a storehouse.
Located at Honolulu’s waterfront, the Russians had instead began building a fort where they raised the Russian flag.
Once this was realized by the king, he had them removed.
Mounting it with defense, it was the Hawaiians were completed the fort.
Meaning “the back of the scorpion fish,” Kekuanohu was the name given to the fort because of the raising guns on its walls.
Built with walls 16 feet in height, 12 feet in thickness and enclosing approximately 2 acres, Kekuanohu was considered the largest structure of its time.
Designed to protect Honolulu Harbor, all the reported cannons were never used in battle.
The fort was dismantled in 1857 and its debris used to expand the downtown district.
Today, at what is now called Walker Park, a 19th century cannon remains, along with coral blocks and a wrought-iron gate, living pieces of history.
Made out of coral blocks from its waters, the Honolulu courthouse once stood in the forts place until the property was then sold for $20,000.
It was purchased by H. Hackfeld & Co., the predecessor of American Factors, known in Hawaiʻi’s history as one of the “Big Five.”
Noted as one of the oldest streets in Honolulu, Fort Street gradually became the shopping center throughout the 1800s.
But when the new Ala Moana Center opened the same year as statehood, this led to the exodus of businesses from downtown.
While majority of the street was eventually converted into the pedestrian mall we know of today, a little piece of Fort Street remains.
Did you know? Now you do!