Kolonia tells a story of several historical layers: the remains of Spanish fortifications, memorial sites from the German era and buildings associated with Japanese rule. If you would like to include cultural history in your travel plans, it helps to distinguish between construction dates and later dates of registration. The sites in Kolonia offer different perspectives on Pohnpei’s history—from a fort and churches to schools and memorials.
Spanish and German Traces
The Spanish Wall is a remnant of Fort Alphonso XIII. Construction of the fort began in late 1887. The dark stone remains of the outer wall, built under Spanish rule in the late 19th century, now border a park and a playing field in Kolonia. The fortification’s remains thus stand alongside a present-day public space, while retaining their historical significance.
Other notable landmarks date from the German era. The bell tower of a church built by Capuchin missionaries in 1909 has been preserved; the church building was lost during World War II, while the tower and brick apse survived. The Catholic Bell Tower is also the largest surviving structure from the German administration in Kolonia. Its date of listing in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places is recorded as November 25, 1980.
The German Cemetery also recalls events from the period of German occupation on Ponape. Two German governors are buried there. One died in 1907, on the same day he had uncovered the grave of the first king; the other was killed on October 18, 1910. The site of the Japanese Hydro-Electric Power Plant also housed a German experimental forestry station and once contained plentiful deposits of flat stones. These stones were used in traditional Sakau, or kava, ceremonies on Ponape.
The register dates differ significantly from the construction dates: the Spanish Wall is listed as having been added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1974; the Sokehs Mass Grave Site in Komwonlaid, Kolonia, and the Japanese Shrine at Town Hall in Kolonia are both listed as having been added on September 30, 1976. These are listing dates, not dates when the sites were built.
Sites from the Japanese Era
The Japanese Shrine in Kolonia was built in the early 1920s as a place for prayer and worship. The Chief Agriculturist House was built in the mid-1920s. It is considered one of the finest buildings from the early Japanese era on Ponape; it is also described as significant to the development of Ponape and Micronesia. The Japanese Elementary School for Pohnpeian Children provides another link between periods: it was probably built in 1920 or 1921. The building and grounds are in an area that Fort Alphonso would have enclosed during the Spanish occupation, and are described as significant to two periods in Ponape’s recent history.
Churches and schools also reveal different aspects of this history. Around 1930, the Tanaka Church was built of stone with donations from Japanese residents; during the war, the Japanese army used it as a barracks and warehouse. Ponape National School was one of the schools in Kolonia during Japanese rule and was attended by Japanese children. A church was founded at one site in 1888, during the Spanish era, in honor of Our Lady. The present white church, Our Lady of Mercy, was completed after the war in 1953.
Behind the ACE Hardware store in Kolonia stands a row of Japanese army tanks left there after the Pacific War. They are believed to be Type 95 light tanks and were gathered there during postwar disarmament. Their tentative identification is as much a part of their story as their later presence at this site.
A Guided Tour
The History Discovery Tour takes visitors to sights in Kolonia with a guide. According to the provider, tours and new bookings are currently suspended; reopening will be announced. Check the provider’s latest information before including the tour in your travel plans.
For the broader travel overview: Pohnpei.
