New Moon Foundation

History

The Homestead

Father Bond's home is the oldest wooden structure in Kohala and is considered by many historic preservation experts to be one of the most important historic sites in Hawai'i. Initially constructed in late 1840 by his predecessor, Reverend Bliss, it includes a partial cellar and a red brick hearth. The 10-room house was certainly influenced by New England architecture and was built in stages as needs, funds and man power allowed. It included Father Bond's offices and Mother Bond's first Select School for Girls. The Bond Select School for Boys was originally a thatched structure constructed by the boys themselves; a more permanent wood frame schoolhouse was built in the late 1850s. In 1879, a small, one-room cottage was built for Mother Bond in the west garden. It offered her a respite from the commotion of the growing family and business, and allowed her to view her extensive collection of blooms, with seeds brought from visiting travelers, worldwide.

The Original Homestead (1840)

Homestead Additions

In 1884, Bond built a medical office for his son, Dr. Benjamin Bond, following Dr. Bond’s return to Kohala from a medical internship in New York City. Five years later, Bond had a detached cottage constructed for Benjamin and his new bride at the east end of the main house; the architecture of the cottage reflected the influence of the Gothic Revival style and featured high-ceiling rooms, a sweeping wrap-around lanai and shuttered windows. Many smaller structures were built to support the homestead, including a carriage house and single horse stall for Dr. Bond's medical emergency 'ambulance'. Toward the turn of the 19th century, the Bond family's affluence was mirrored in the construction of a proper kitchen as well as interior bathrooms in both the Main House and Doctor’s Cottage. Soon after, the Bond's built larger stables and a blacksmith shop, a hydroelectric power plant and a rock crushing facility. Rock was taken from the Bond's quarry, mauka (mountain side) of the Homestead, to pave the roads on the estate. The rock crusher later became the macadamia nut crushing facility, as 250 acres of macadamia nut trees were planted near the Homestead.

The second and third generations of the Bond Family occupied the Homestead buildings until 1930. After the 1930s, the Homestead continued to be maintained by the Bond Family, until their purchase by New Moon Foundation, LLC in 1999. New Moon Foundation respects Father Bond's legacy to promote educational, livelihood, spiritual and healing opportunities and practices. We continue to receive much inspiration from this history.

The buildings serve as a virtual time capsule of domestic life from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. The original Homestead contents have been professionally inventoried and will be preserved and protected in accordance with the agreement with the Bond family. The long-term vision for the Bond Homestead is to become something beyond a tourist attraction or standard museum. Not only are the buildings and their contents too sensitive for the ongoing impact of daily tours, but their unique nature creates a potential opportunity for a much more significant and meaningful experience of history and its relevance in today's world. It is therefore NMF's intention to create a community/cultural area that include not only the Homestead and its missionary history, but to also highlight other cultural histories, with a focus on the Hawaiian/host culture.

The October 2006 earthquake damaged the masonry work in the office area of Father Bond's home, while the wood construction faired much better. NMF is currently maintaining the Bond Homestead buildings until the proper steps can be taken to complete the long-term restoration.

Kalahikiola Congregational Church

Kalahikiola Congregational Church is located mauka (mountain side) of the Bond Homestead, between the Homestead and the former Kohala Select School for Girls. The church was damaged extensively in the 2006 earthquake and repairs are underway. Father Bond and members of his Protestant Congregational Church community constructed most of the structure as time and funds permitted. Ohia lumber was cut from Kalahikiola Mountain, from which the church acquired its name. It is said that timber and stone were carried for miles through ravines and gulches by male church attendees, while women and children carried sand, to be used for mortar, from beaches stretching from Kawaihae to Pololu (a distance of more than 25 miles) over a three year period. Kalahikiola Church was dedicated on October 11, 1855. The church bell was gifted by a former New England classmate of Bond's and rang continuously for Sunday services up until the 2006 earthquake. The church remains a vibrant component to the Kohala community, with weekly services and special programs taking place at the adjacent church hall while repairs are underway.

Kohala Select School for Girls

The Kohala Select School for Girls is located beyond the gates at the end of 'Iole Road. Father Bond collected the construction funds, and employed both boys from his Boys Select School and Hawaiian workers, to complete construction in 1874. Classes began in December of the same year. In 1926, with the construction of Kohala High School, the School for Girls discontinued classes and became a boarding house for female high school students, until 1956. From that time, until the purchase of the Historic District by New Moon, the former School for Girls has hosted church and youth group retreats and served various community needs. The seven building campus is currently under renovation and will reopen as the Contemplative Education Center. Please see 'Facilities & Land Activities: Contemplative Education Center (CEC)' for more information.