The 1830s Baldwin Home in Lahaina, long known as the oldest house on Maui, is headed for a full teardown and rebuild after this week's Kona storm knocked out part of a stone wall and left the rest of the structure on the brink. Workers who had been trying to stabilize the historic building say the pounding winds and heavy rains further weakened the fragile masonry, and engineers now consider what is left too unsafe to keep standing. The Lahaina Restoration Foundation says crews will carefully take the building apart, stone by stone, in order to save as much original material as they can for a future reconstruction.
As reported by Hawaii News Now, the storm hammered the west-facing wall, and a section gave way despite previous shoring work that had been put in place after earlier damage. The outlet notes the site had been secured during stabilization efforts, but an updated evaluation found the remaining walls "are no longer stable," which pushed officials to choose controlled deconstruction over the risk of another sudden collapse.
Already Weakened By Wildfire Damage And Earlier Assessments
The Baldwin Home dates to 1834–35 and had already become a high-priority preservation case after the August 2023 wildfires left many Lahaina landmarks in a precarious state. The Lahaina Restoration Foundation details the building's 19th century origins and notes that by August 2023, structural reviews flagged the north and south stone walls as vulnerable, which led to emergency stabilization work. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation reporting on post-fire recovery also described how shoring and extra bracing were added in an effort to keep the historic walls upright.
Fundraising And Next Steps
To keep the long-term restoration effort moving, the foundation has launched a fundraising push that includes a benefit lūʻau set for May 16, 2026, with both individual tickets and table sponsorships on offer. The event page on BetterUnite and local listings on Maui Now lay out sponsorship levels, ticket options and an online bidding feature for supporters who cannot make it in person.
What Happens Next
The foundation reports there were no injuries at the site and says crews will now focus on documenting the building, then cataloging and salvaging historic fabric wherever possible before any rebuilding begins. According to Hawaii News Now, organizers intend to reconstruct the Baldwin Home using as much of the original material as they can, although they are not yet committing to a timeline. For the moment, the priority is safety, careful deconstruction and meticulous record-keeping so that one of Lahaina's oldest landmarks has a fighting chance at a faithful return.
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