There is no shortage of history in Port Moody.

Various heritage homes dot the city's land-scape, like the Alexander House on Grant Street in Moody Centre.

Most residents nowadays probably don't know the house was built back in the roaring 1920s by a future mayor.

The house was originally located on St. Johns Street.

A.H. Alexander was a merchant in the early days of the city and married his business partner's wife, Ethel Bennett, after the partner died.

The three had been in the Yukon for the gold rush before settling in Port Moody.

Eventually, Alexander became an alderman for a couple of terms in the 1920s before being elected to the top job as mayor for two years in 1930.

The home remains a slice of Port Moody's past that for one day is on display to the public.

In an effort to celebrate the city's centennial and Heritage Week, the Port Moody Heritage Society is offering a self-guided tour of nine local heritage sites for one day this Sunday (Feb. 24).

Participants will be given a map with the locations of the eight heritage homes and one business on the tour.

Costumed hosts will welcome guests and provide information about the architecture and family history of each house.

Jim Millar, manager of the Port Moody Station Museum, believes it's important to recognize and celebrate the heritage of the community.

"It's important to know where you came from and how the community developed," he told The NOW, adding many of the homes built at the turn of the 20th Century were more of a working class nature to reflect the town at the time.

The society offered a similar tour in 2004, with great success, so it was brought back to mark the city's centennial.

"People like to see inside other people's houses," Millar said, noting there aren't a lot of heritage homes in the city compared to other parts of Metro Vancouver like New Westminster.

"For the heritage house tour, it's interesting to see what they've [the owners] done to the house."

The buildings on display range in age from 1909 up to the 1960s.

Millar explained the theme of this year's heritage week is neighbourhoods, so three homes in the Glenayre and College Park areas built in the 1960s have also been included. The tour also includes a stop at the old Pleasantside store on Ioco Road.

The society has decided to release the addresses of the homes on the tour Sunday only to participants, citing privacy concerns.

Tickets for the tour, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., are $30.

For more information about the tour, check out portmoodymuseum.org or call 604-939-1648.

As for the Alexander House, it was bought and moved two years ago to its current location on Grant Street by local businessman Fred Soofi.

The house is currently in the final stages of a renovation.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com