According to legend, Kuka'o'o Heiau in Manoa Valley was built by menehune in the 17th century. After defeating the menehune, O'ahu chief Kuali'i rebuilt the structure as an agricultural heiau for rituals to increase crops in the fertile valley.

After centuries of use, the 40-by-45-foot heiau was abandoned and overgrown with weeds.

Today, the heiau is seen as the central feature of the Manoa Heritage Center, a new educational center planned to give elementary school children a firsthand look at what life was like in Manoa before it became a residential neighborhood.

"Students can really benefit from visiting a historic site," said Victoria Kneubuhl, director of educational programs. "Since our site is an agricultural heiau, for students doing Hawaiian studies, it's an incredible opportunity for them. I've worked in the museum field for a long time and have seen how children respond when you take them to a real place. You can't get that from a textbook or in a classroom. That is what makes historic sites so valuable in our community."

The nonprofit Manoa Heritage Center filed an environmental assessment last week and is seeking a conditional use permit to operate in a residential neighborhood. If approved, the center hopes to start giving free tours to students in October.

Miki Beamer, who lives across Manoa Road from the center, took a tour of the site in May with other area residents.

"We think it is a wonderful project," Beamer said. "It is going to be teaching students about Manoa, about Hawaiiana. I'm all for it."

Beamer said her concerns about traffic congestion were eased after learning that vehicles used by visitors will be parked on the property.

"I don't think it is going to cause any traffic problem," she said.

The center is comprised of five separate parcels totaling about three acres that include the heiau and a garden of indigenous plants, the home of Samuel and Mary Cooke called Kuali'i, another residence and two vacant lots.

John Whalen, consultant for the project with Plan Pacific Inc., said the Cooke's Tudor style home was built in 1911 by Charles Montague Cooke Jr., but the property did not include the heiau. His grandson bought the property and restored the heiau in 1993.

The heritage center will run the operation, The property is held under another nonprofit called the Kuali'i Foundation.

The smaller residence will be used for a caretaker's home and as a meeting facility, which is why the conditional use permit is needed, he said.

"The Cookes bought that lot and two others to try to protect the heiau and its immediate environment," Whalen said. "They saw the value in it. It was really fortunate that they did."

A staff of five people will run the center and maintain the grounds with a group of docents greeting visitors and giving tours between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

An average of about 120 students and 50 adult visitors are expected to tour the site each week.

Kneubuhl said a resource book has been developed for teachers to prepare students before they visit the site. The goal is to preserve the heiau and garden and enhance community awareness of the history and culture of the Hawaiian people in Manoa.

"We will talk about the natural history of the valley, how it was formed, and give a broad overview of what happened in the valley," she said. "When it was settled by humans, how it has been used and how it ended up being a residential neighborhood."