John Young Homestead Stabilization
Conservation of Historic Site
Pu’ukohola Heiau, Hawaii

In the 1790s, John Young built a two-story house in the rain shadow of two volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii. He had been given his home site by King Kamehameha the Great, for whom he served as a “War Advisor.” Years of extreme weather conditions led to the deterioration of the homestead’s original masonry and compromised its stability. The National Park Service commissioned ARG/CS to stabilize and preserve the remaining original material.

ARG/CS began the conservation effort with a preliminary investigation phase in which various materials and methods were tested. After consultation with the client, a complete conservation effort was undertaken that included archaeological work provided by a subcontractor, as well as sending our own team of on-staff conservators to provide hands-on stabilization treatments. Conservation treatment involved the reattachment of plaster, the capping of stone with amended soil mortar, and the construction of a stabilization/drainage system.

The unique design-conservation resources of ARG/CS simultaneously improved the site’s interpretive value while ensuring the future preservation of its historic fabric.