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Big Stone Lodge
 Long after a stage line from San Diego to Escondido stopped running near here, Dr. Homer Hansen and Daniel Stuck of the San Fernando Valley purchased land in the 1920s and envisioned building a resort complex called Camp Big Stone. The main lodge building, along Old Pomerado Road, was unusually constructed of gigantic roof beams and large granite boulders, as opposed to the cobbles commonly used in Poway, and the lodge was intended to be a place for community functions, such as dances and socials. Plans also called for camping facilities, a store, a service station, and more. However, the Great Depression stopped development and the resort was never fully completed.
Now known as the Big Stone Lodge, the landmark has seen numerous owners and proprietors over the years who operated it as a restaurant, bar, and dance hall. Its decline in popularity likely began with the straightening of Old Pomerado Road, which hid the Big Stone Lodge from the street for potential patrons.
Fast forward to 2003. The now defunct City of Poway Redevelopment Agency purchased this 1.7-acre property to protect and preserve the resort buildings; however, funding was never found and the property sat vacant. In 2006, Poway City officials determined the main lodge building could not be saved and demolition was approved to build more housing. Now twelve years later, the property is inexplicably abandoned and grossly deteriorating behind a chain link fence, with many questions lingering over the intended demolition. The City still has abundant opportunities to revive this historic site, including adaptive reuse, new housing, and a community center. A commitment to preserving the Big Stone Lodge—a vibrant and exceptional piece of Poway and San Diego history—must be included in any new plan.
The decaying Big Stone Lodge. Photo by Criselda Yee
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