
The Hana courthouse is a rare nineteenth-century example of tongue-and-groove, single-wall construction in Hawaii. Most single-wall buildings of the era are of board and batten, which is the method used in the double-wall, three-cell jail (1889) behind the courthouse. With limited light and ventilation, prisoners must have experienced a particularly hot confinement. The former seat of justice for the Hana district, this diminutive courthouse features a simple symmetrical facade dignified by a front-facing gable and pent-roofed porch. The courtroom remains intact and is now maintained by the Hana Cultural Center.