[1] The name Poloa denotes that once the sun sets over the horizon, it will immediately become dark, or Po-loa.

The name originated from a premodern account of the travels of the legendary twins Taema and Tilafaiga, in their search for Fututalie, a Samoan prince who lived in a village at Tutuila Island's western tip.

World War II relics in town include pillbox forts and foot trails used by the Marines on the coastline.

Three pillbox forts can be seen along the shore and an open tunnel can be seen at the entry to Poloa Village, known as Le Mafa.

The three pillbox forts were erected in order to protect the island from Japanese forces entering from the west.

The Poloa Defensive Fortifications were listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2012, under the U.S. Department of the Interior.

After World War II, the fortifications became social gathering sites for local residents.

Reconstruction work was carried out under the command of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

[4] Taputapu Elementary School and the Early Childhood Education Center were completely destroyed by the earthquake-triggered tsunami.

Villagers constructed their homes on mounds of land on the mountaintops and on the slopes and some flatlands.

The public access road winds through Poloa from the open tunnel on the mountaintop and down to the low-lying lands of the village.

The reason for this recent drop was overseas migration to the mainland United States and Western Samoa.