Topeka’s Historic Homes Tour to visit Potwin Neighborhood

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Shawnee County Historical Society announced that its 2025 Historic Homes Tour will visit five homes in the Potwin neighborhood next month.

The historical society is inviting people to tour the neighborhood and learn more about the history of Topeka. Tickets are $75 for non-members of the SCHS and $65 for members. For tickets and more information, check out the event page.

The SCHS will have five homes on display and the neighborhood will be fully decorated with Halloween décor on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The tour will serve as the historical society’s main fundraiser. The reception will be at Potwin Presbyterian Church, another historic building from 1924.

The Potwin Place Historic District dates all the way back to 1869 when Charles Potwin, a banker from Ohio, purchased more than 70 acres of land in what would become Topeka. Potwin divided the acres into 80 lots and planted over 200 elm trees along the streets. In 1885, the lots were up for sale, costing around $5,000 (about $122,000 today).

The first home was built in 1885 and was located at 337 Woodlawn, and in 1980 the neighborhood was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places. Citing the architectural importance and distinctive identity of the neighborhood, the register classified Potwin Place as an essential characteristic of the Topeka, reflecting life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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