Historic home tour offers opportunities

POMONA - Two years ago, Eric Shen bought a house in the 200 block of East Kingsley Avenue that was partially boarded up and had been stripped of much of its historic details.

That was the start of a major renovation project.

"Ever since it has been a non-stop labor of love," Shen said Friday.

On Sunday, Shen will open the doors of his home and let people take a look at his home, which is one of five vintage houses on Pomona Heritage's 26th Annual Historic Home Tour.

The tour is Pomona Heritage's major fund-raiser with proceeds going to pay for outreach activities, its Old Home Restoration Workshop and the Historic Restoration Grant program.

Shen bought the house built in 1909 shortly after he'd been laid off from a job in the mortgage business.

He thought he would dedicate six months to a year to the house while the mortgage industry improved. The list of work included removing vinyl siding and aluminum windows. He had a new roof put on and improved the kitchen and the bathroom.

As Shen worked on the house, he realized he didn't want to part with it.

Today, most of the major work on the house has been completed, Shen said.

"Now, I'd like to put in more of the historical elements. That's going to be fun," he said.

The home tour offers participants a chance to see what people have done with older houses and to get ideas for their own homes, said Kathleen Jones, president of Pomona Heritage.

Homes on the tour are generally in different stages of restoration, Jones said.

"It's an on-going thing," she said. "It's a way to see how somebody is bringing a house back."

Karen Escobedo, who with Megan Jones, is co-chairwoman of the home tour, said the tour allows people to see it is possible to live well in an older home.

"We want to see how modern people live in old houses," Escobedo said.

For those wondering if the should purchase an old home, the tour is also for them.

"If you're not sure your into older homes, you get to go in and get a feel for them," Escobedo said.

Shen was asked to be part of the tour early on, Escobedo said.

Her Victorian Free Classical home represents a transition period going from the Victorian to Craftman architectural styles.

The house has the smaller rooms frequently associated with the Victorian period. Outside the house has a rock foundation and clapboard siding that shows the Craftsman influence, Escobedo said.

Also on the tour are Craftsman and Spanish-style homes, she said.

"These historic houses, every single one of them is unique," Escobedo said.

Four of the five houses on the tour are in the Lincoln Park Historic District.

People interested in old home will want to take part in the tour. It's a chance to visit older neighborhoods and see the architectural treasures Pomona has.

FYI

Pomona Heritage's 26th Annual Historic Home Tour will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The tour begins at the Pomona Ebell Museum of History, 585 E. Holt Ave. which will open its doors at 10 a.m.

The Home Tour Antique and Craft Fair will take place at the Ebell from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features useful goods and services.

The Historical Society of Pomona Valley will sell lunch at the Ebell.

Tour tickets will be sold at the Ebell for $25 each.

For information go to pomonaheritage.org.