Tour historical Poway on Oct. 18

The Poway Historical Society is holding a self-guided tour of historically significant sites around Poway from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18.

“The tour was successful last year and got an enthusiastic response, so we decided to do it again this year,” said the society’s Mary Shepardson.

This year, the tour has an additional historical location added to the original five: the Community Church Chapel, which was established in 1887 and is one of the oldest and most recognizable buildings in Poway.

“We added the church to the tour because it’s the most significant building in Poway,” said Shepardson. The church is located at the corner of Community Road and Hilleary Place.

The other locations on the tour are Dearborn Memorial Park, the Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center, Old Poway Park, and two historic homes originally built and owned by pioneer families: the Lewis Kent House and the Plaisted House.

The tour is free and open to the public. It is a self-guided tour, though docents will be available at all locations between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to answer questions and provide information about the historical sites. Donations are appreciated.

Those doing the tour are free do it in any order, but Shepardson recommended beginning at Old Poway Park, as maps and information will be available in the Heritage Museum.

Old Poway Park, 14134 Midland Road, will include docent tours of the Nelson House, the Porter House and Templar’s Hall. The Heritage Museum will also be open for touring.

Dearborn Memorial Park, 14361 Tierra Bonita Road, will have members of the cemetery’s board available to answer questions about its long history and the many members of Poway’s history that are buried there, including four former Poway mayors and Padres baseball legend Tony Gwynn.

The Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center, 13014 Ipai Waaypuk Trail will also have docents on hand to answer questions and give tours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visitors can get a look at Poway’s history before white settlers arrived, including a look at how the Kumeyaay people lived and the artifacts they left behind.

The Lewis Kent House and the Plaisted House will also have docents available to answer questions. These are privately owned homes, so the addresses will need to be obtained from the Heritage Museum on the day of the tour. Only the exterior of the Lewis Kent House, which was built in 1889, will be available for touring. Both the exterior and some of the interior of the Plaisted House, which was built in 1888, will be open for viewing.

More information about the tour and the locations is available at the museum, which is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, closed the second Sunday of every month, or by calling 858-679-8587 or visiting www.facebook.com/PowayHistoricalAndMemorialSociety.