$150,000 donation will go to restore King Lunalilo's tomb

By Honolulu Advertiser Staff

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is donating $150,000 to Lunalilo Home to restore King William Charles Lunalilo's tomb.

The sixth monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom reigned for just over a year, starting in 1873, until he died of tuberculosis. He's buried in a tomb on the grounds of Kawaiahao Church.

Lunalilo and Kamehameha the Great are the only two monarchs not buried at the Royal Mausoleum in Nu'uanu.

The tomb was completed in 1875 and is one of the earliest examples of concrete block construction in Hawai'i.

The donation is expected to cover about one-third of the estimated $450,000 cost of restoration.

Lunalilo Home is a care home for Hawaiians established by King Lunalilo's will.