ʻĀinahau was the royal estate of Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.
Located in Waikīkī, the 10 acre (40,000 m²) estate was deeded to the toddler Kaʻiulani by her godmother, Princess Ruth Keʻelikolani. Archibald Cleghorn, Kaʻiulani's Scottish father and former royal governor of Oʻahu, built a two-story home on the estate. It was furnished with two grand pianos, elaborate brocade chairs, gold and glass cabinets and fixtures. Also, there were various art collections displayed on the walls and rooms. From ʻĀinahau, the Cleghorn family would entertain Hawaiʻi's prestigious social circles. In Hawaiian, "ʻĀinahau" means, "the cool place". The name was chosen by Princess Likelike and she composed a song Ainahau.
Cleghorn collected flowers and trees from all over the world, planted in various gardens on the estate. A stable was built for several horses, including quarters for Kaʻiulani's prized pony. ʻĀinahau was made famous in later years for its many peacocks that roamed freely on its grounds. Kaʻiulani would be called the "Princess of Peacocks" in legend.
Kaʻiulani became mistress of ʻĀinahau at the age of 12, upon the death of her mother Princess Miriam K. Likelike. As mistress of ʻĀinahau, she grew fond of the company of the Scottish poet and author, Robert Louis Stevenson, who stayed at ʻĀinahau over the course of Kaʻiualani's childhood.
What was once the entrance of ʻĀinahau is today the site of the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel, built by Matson Navigation Company, owned by Kyo-Ya Company Limited, and operated under the Sheraton brand. Across the street on Kalākaua Avenue is the Moana Hotel which had just been built towards the end of Kaʻiulani's life.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:%CA%BB%C4%80inahau ʻĀinahau] at Wikimedia Commons
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