Originally on the outskirts of the village of Honolulu, with the makai side consisting of estuarine wetlands and man-made ponds for the harvesting of sea salt (or paʻakai in Hawaiian).

Remains of some forty of the early members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts also lay buried since 1853 in a common grave on site.

Many trees were removed and in 1892, Father Valentin planted the stately royal palms that line the main lane to the cemetery.

To alleviate encountering ground water during burials, Father Valentin approved the importation of new soil from the nearby Armory.

After the closure of the cemetery by the Board of Health, the vicariate made arrangements for Catholic interments at Diamond Head Memorial Park.

Several grave markers are sequestered at the corner of what appears to have been a chapel and tree roots from a Ficus have obscured the original plots.