King Kamehameha Statue in historic town Kapaau

King Kamehameha Statue in historic town Kapaau. The statue is in front of the North Kohala Civic Center stands the original King Kamehameha I Statue, erected not far from where Hawaii’s greatest king was born. A great warrior, diplomat and leader, King Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810 after years of conflict. Forged in Florence, Italy in 1880, the ship that was ferrying it to Honolulu sank off the Falkland Islands. Believed to have been lost at sea, a replacement statue was commissioned and was erected in Downtown Honolulu and has become one of the most photographed landmarks on Oahu. However, the original statue was miraculously found and recovered in 1912. The restored statue was then installed near Kamehameha’s birthplace at Kapaau.