Historic Houses of Nipomo

The Dana-Powers house, built in 1882, stands on a portion of the historic 37,888-acre Rancho Nipomo (from the Chumash Indian word Nepomah, meaning “at the foot of the hills”) A private residence, it has been home to six generations of Danas, beginning with Frank, who built the comfortable home on 1200 acres of land given to him by his father William Goodwin Dana. The house still stands at 535 Mehlschau Road in Nipomo.

The Kaleidoscope Inn was constructed of redwood in 1887 by retired rancher Vitalis Runels. In 1902, Joseph & Todie Dana (of the historic California Dana family) bought the home. It remained in the Dana family until the 1960’s. From the 1960’s until 1987, the home was used as an antique store and a private residence. The Kaleidescope Inn, as the house is now known, can be seen at 130 E. Dana Street.