Oʻahu Cemetery: Burial Ground & Historic Site

by Nanette Napoleon Purnell

Founded in 1844, Oahu Cemetery -- located in lush Nuuanu Valley on the island of Oahu -- is Hawaii's most historic graveyard. Hundreds of history makers -- including the "Father" of American baseball, Alexander J. Cartwright -- are resting peacefully here. Noted graveyard historian, author, and photographer, Nanette Napoleon Purnell brings this graveyard to life through vivid stories of family tragedies, political intrigue, and heroism on the high seas. Over 200 color photographs capture the wonderful array of tombstone art and architecture that make this site such a beautiful outdoor museum.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than any other cemetery book I’ve read (and I’m trying to read ’em all!), this one makes a case that the way to learn about a place is to study its graveyard. Purnell’s book is divided into several sections that provide a good overview of the history of the Hawaiian Islands, particularly Oahu, since contact with the outside world began with Cook’s voyage in 1778. After a “Brief History” of the Victorian-style cemetery, Purnell explores some of the more spectacular stories behind the permanent residents, ranging from the lawmen who died tracking down victims of Hansen’s Disease (as leprosy is now called), the wreck of the USS Saginaw on the Kure Atoll, and the kidnapping and murder of a child in 1928. This segues into a wonderful section on the history of fraternal organizations in Europe, on the mainland, and in the Islands. I don’t know if I’ve ever come across this information anywhere else.

Purnell’s lovely color photographs shine in the section devoted to “The Art & Symbolism of Death.” She takes best advantage of the Island light, the greenery, and cerulean skies to highlight the artistry in stone which adorns Oahu Cemetery.

I found the section on “Prominent Permanent Residents” a necessary addition to the book, since I know very little of the civic history of Oahu. Among the famous names lie Joseph Campbell (author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces); Alexander Cartwright Jr., the “father of organized baseball”; Jules Tavernier, a landscape painter who founded “The Volcano School” of art; opera singers, hula teachers, and hapa haole songsters who introduced Hawaiian themes to the larger world of radio listeners.

A long list of references closes out the book.

This is an extremely beautiful book, liberally illustrated, and very reasonably priced. Its only drawback is a lack of proofreading -- which is sometimes annoying and often quite funny. Ignore that, if you will, and enjoy the banquet otherwise laid out before you. This is a treasure.

This review originally appeared in Morbid Curiosity #6.