The banyan tree (Ficus
benghalensis) came to Lahaina from India when it was
only 8 feet tall. William O. Smith was
Maui sheriff when he planted it in 1873 at a service
marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of Lahaina's
first Christian mission.
As the little town
that was once the capital of the Hawaiian kingdom
and the whaling capital of the world developed, the
little tree grew and grew. It provided
a leisurely setting where local sugar mill employees
and pineapple workers could meet and conduct business.
It was also the scene
of many a political rally, luau, dance, concert, festival
and celebration. For years it shaded viewers
at the elementary school's May Day festivities, whaling
sprees and Aloha Week observances. Some
residents still recall swinging Tarzan-like on the
aerial roots (and being swatted with a rake by the
caretaker).
Lahaina's banyan now
has 12 major trunks of varying girth, besides the
huge core of central trunks. It reaches
upward to a height of about 50 feet and stretches
outward over a 200-foot area, shading two-thirds of
an acre on the almost 2 acres of land in the courthouse
square.
Next is the Courthouse.
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