about utulei

Utulei stands as a village within Maoputasi County, situated in the Eastern District of Tutuila, the principal island of American Samoa. Traditionally regarded as part of Fagatogo village, the legislative capital of American Samoa, Utulei graces the southwest periphery of Pago Pago Harbor.

Utulei boasts numerous local landmarks, including the A. P. Lutali Executive Office Building adjacent to the Feleti Barstow Library. Paved roads lead to a former cable car terminal on Solo Hill, offering scenic views. The village is home to the governor's mansion, perched on Mauga o Alii overlooking the entrance to Goat's Island, as well as the lieutenant governor's residence nearby. The Lee Auditorium, constructed in 1962, and American Samoa's television studios, housed in the Michael J. Kirwan Educational Television Center, are also notable features. The Rainmaker Hotel, now partially known as Sadie's Hotel, graces the landscape. Utulei Terminal provides picturesque vistas of Rainmaker Mountain.

Additionally, Utulei hosts several hotels, including Sadie’s by the Sea, and the Feleti Barstow Library, serving as American Samoa’s central public library. Developed with funding from the Community Development Block Grant program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the library boasts the largest literary selection in American Samoa.

Utulei Beach Park features a grand fale adorned with intricate carvings, serving as a venue for performances and events, along with smaller fales for everyday gatherings. Adjacent to the park lies the Executive Office Building and Feleti Barstow Public Library, across from Samoana High School, the largest high school on Tutuila Island. Sadie's By The Sea, positioned as one of the few beachfront hotels on Tutuila, offers amenities such as an outdoor swimming pool, spa, restaurant, and water sports equipment for rent.

HISTORY

During World War II, Utulei's population, approximately 700 residents, was largely displaced to accommodate US military installations. Described by one Naval officer as consisting of "a few native houses," the villagers were relocated to the hills to make way for bachelor officers' quarters and other military support facilities.

Following the war, in 1946, the vacant two-story marine barracks in Utulei were refurbished into the new Samoan Hospital, boasting 224 beds, 27 bassinets, a pharmacy, and a dentistry. In 1950, the hospital admitted 2,771 patients and delivered about 40 percent of all babies born in American Samoa that year. Nursing needs were met by graduates from the local nursing school, while medical needs were attended to by students selected for the Central Medical School. However, after the Navy's departure in 1951, a shortage of physicians and healthcare professionals was keenly felt.

The Michael J. Kirwan Educational Television Center was completed in 1964, named in honor of Representative Michael J. Kirwan, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

In a tragic incident during Flag Day military demonstrations in 1980, a US Navy aircraft accidentally struck the cables of the Mount ‘Alava Cable Car, crashing into the Rainmaker Hotel. This resulted in the loss of all six naval personnel on board and claimed the lives of two hotel guests.

BLUNTS POINT

Blunt's Point, situated on Matautu Ridge in Gataivai, offers sweeping views of the mouth of Pago Pago Harbor. Atop this ridge stand two sizable six-inch naval guns, installed in 1941. Accessible from Utulei, visitors can reach Matautu Ridge by walking southeast along the main road, passing the oil tanks. On the right-hand side, near a small pump house opposite two homes along the bayside street, the track up the hill to Matautu Ridge begins. The lower gun sits directly above a large green water tank, while the second gun is positioned 200 meters further up the ridge. Concrete stairways lead to both gun emplacements.

Of historical significance, one of the gun emplacements is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, while the other is designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark, both maintained by the National Park Service. The 3-km World War II Heritage Trail, culminating at Blunt's Point, is Tutuila Island's most accessible and popular trail. Along the ridge-top trail, visitors encounter ancient archaeological sites and World War II installations, constructed in anticipation of a potential Japanese invasion. Further along, the trail delves into a lush, bird-filled rainforest.