The fort's origin story begins in 1816, when Georg Schäffer, a German doctor and agent of a Russian fur-trading vessel, was sent to Kauai on a diplomatic mission.
Schäffer designed the Italian-style fort and gave the construction plans to Hawaiians. The fort would end up being built by hundreds of Hawaiians for Hawaiians.
Weeks after the fort was built, Kaumualii forced Schäffer to leave. Schäffer had deceived the king, and had no backing from the Russian government.
It was a government surveyor who, in 1885, erroneously named the historic site Russian Fort Elizabeth. That name lived on without question.
Collection
[
|
...
]