Princeville
Place: Princeville, Kauaʻi
Type: Resort community / former plantation and ranch land
Story it tells: A place named for Hawaiian royalty, shaped by plantation history and later development.
Princeville sits on Kauaʻi’s north shore, a master-planned resort community whose name reaches back to the Hawaiian monarchy. The area was named in 1860 after Prince Albert, the infant son of Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma, during a visit by the royal family to what was then plantation land. Prince Albert died only two years later, giving the name an unexpected poignancy.
Before becoming Princeville, this region was part of the traditional ahupuaʻa of Hanalei, known for its extensive loʻi kalo (taro cultivation). Following the Great Māhele, the land became part of the Crown Lands and was leased and developed into plantations, first for coffee and later sugar, before transitioning to ranching.
In the late 20th century, the area was transformed into a resort community, with golf courses, condominiums, and vacation rentals overlooking the ocean. The modern landscape reflects that shift, but the name remains, tying the place to a brief moment in the kingdom’s history and to a child once seen as its future.