Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium | |
  | |
| Location | American Samoa Highway 001, Utulei, American Samoa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 14°16′44″S 170°40′59″W / 14.278889°S 170.683056°W |
| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1962 |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000888 |
| Added to NRHP | November 12, 2010 |
The Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium, also called Fale Laumei ("Turtle House") in Samoan, is the largest indoor meeting space in the United States territory of American Samoa. It is located in the village of Utulei, surrounded by other government buildings. The main body of the building is a roughly ovoid structure, with a curved roof (finished with wooden shakes) that is reminiscent of the thatch roofs of traditional Samoan structures. The auditorium was built in 1962 under orders from Governor Hyrum Rex Lee as part of a major initiative to modernize the territory's infrastructure and facilities. It was built by a construction squadron of the United States Navy, and was completed in time for the 1962 South Pacific Conference. It was later named in honor of Lee, who was the territory's longest-serving governor, and oversaw much of its modernization.[1]
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[2] It was built to house the delegates of the 1962 South Pacific Conference. The structure would later be known as Fale Laumei (Turtle House).[3]
In 2017, the Fono building in Fagatogo was demolished and the House of Representatives began utilizing the auditorium's North Wing — which faces KVZK-TV and the main Education Department building — for legislative meetings.[4][5]
- ^ "NRHP nomination for H. Rex Lee Auditorium" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Shaffer, Robert J. (2000). American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag. Island Heritage. Page 190. ISBN 9780896103399.
- ^ "Fono coming down". 28 August 2017.
- ^ "DOC looking at early 2019 for Lee Auditorium renovations". 9 December 2018.