‘Āinahau “land of the hau tree,” was once described as “the most beautiful estate in the Hawaiian Islands.” Its 10 acres were filled with gardens, 3 lily ponds, 500 coconut trees, 14 varieties of hibiscus, 8 kinds of mango trees, plus a giant banyan tree. The estate belonged to Governor Archibald Scott Cleghorn and Chiefess Miriam Kapili Likelike, a composer like her sister Queen Lili‘uokalani and brother King Kalākaua. The residence included several bungalows and a spacious two-story Victorian home.

Their only child was Princess Victoria Ka‘iulani who grew up in ‘Āinahau with her beloved peacocks. The Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson was a frequent guest and used to read poetry to the young Princess under her banyan tree. He even composed a poem for her in which he described her as his “island rose, light of heart and bright face.”