Clingan-Waddell Mansion

	Clingan-Waddell Mansion Margaretta Thomas Clingan (1869 –1950) was the daughter of John R. Thomas (1834–1898), founder of the Niles Fire Brick Company, and Margaret Morgan (1834–1918) and sister to Congressman W. Aubrey Thomas. She married Thomas Omar Clingan, a medical doctor, in 1888. The family had four children: Margaret Clingan, Elizabeth Clingan, John R. Thomas Clingan and Thomas O. Clingan. Margaretta graduated from the Old Central High School on State Street, then led in the movement for the construction of McKinley High School (Edison Jr. High) built in 1914 on Church Street.

Margaretta Thomas.	Known locally as a philanthropist, she helped in establishing Central Park, dedicated in 1928, on the site of the old Central School building, now the location of the Central Park Apartments. The Thomas Pavilion, used for concert band performances, was a gift from Margaretta and Mary T. Waddell with each personally donating the funds necessary. Margaretta Clingan was the most energetic leader in promoting the building of the McKinley Memorial. After her death in 1952, her children, Mrs. John Hosack, T.O. Clingan and her grandchildren, donated the family mansion, located on South Main Street, to provide a location in the city for the Niles YMCA.

Portrait of Jacob Waddell, well-known industrialist and husband of Mary Ann Thomas. CA 1929. PO1.1582	Jacob D. Waddell (1870-1939) Jacob Waddell married Mary Ann Thomas in 1919. He organized and headed the Mahoning Valley Steel Company with W. Aubrey Thomas and Thomas E. Thomas. In 1924 he resigned his position to purchase and restore the old Empire Mill (demolished during the Depression). Mr. Waddell continued his leadership in Niles serving as President of the Niles Bank Company and first Director of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District. In 1931, Jacob and Mary Waddell donated land to the city of Niles for Waddell Park. Right: photo and signature of Jacob D. Waddell. PO1.1116

PO 11.316	Pictured left is the Dr. Thomas Clingan house built in 1905 close to the Mahoning River and was later inundated by the waters of the 1913 Flood. The next year, the family moved into their new residence known as the Clingan mansion at 547 South Main Street. L-R William Aubrey Thomas, Margaret Thomas Clingan with John Clingan, Margaret Clingan Wick, T.E. Thomas or Dr. Clingan and Elizabeth Clingan Hosack in the photograph. William Aubrey and Thomas Evan are brothers of Margaret Thomas Clingan. T.E. Thomas was married to Adaline Robbins and lived in the corner house opposite 503 Brown Street. (Mary Ann Thomas Waddell’s house).

	Studio portrait of Mrs. Jacob Waddell nee Mary Ann Thomas. PO1.1388	Studio portrait of Mrs. T.O. Clingan nee Margaretta Thomas. PO1.1387

John R. Thomas	Photo taken 1936. Front row: Mary Ann Thomas Waddell, Rachel (Morgan) Moore, Mary (Phillips) Francis, Margaretta Thomas Clingan. Back row: Wm. Aubrey Thomas, John Thomas. William Aubrey Thomas, son of John R. and Margaret Thomas is the only man from Niles to have ever served as a US Congressman. He served from 1903 to 1911.	Photo taken May 18, 1949 celebrating the eightieth birthday of Margaretta Clingan. May 15, 1899 — January 1, 1950 Left-right: Mary Ann Hosack 3.10.1922 Gilbert James Addie Wick James 12.18.1923 Mary Ann Wick 10.41921 George L. Wick Margaret Thomas Clingan Wick 4.29.1890 William B. Jones Elizabeth Clingan Hosack 1.21.1895 Sally (Isabel) Hosack 1.1019.24 Margaretta Thomas Clingan 5.15.1869 George Thomas Wick 3.10.1920 Mary Ann Thomas Waddell 3.12.1878 Margaretta Hosack Jones 7.17.1920 Tommy Jones (son)

The land for Waddell Park was donated in 1931 by Jacob and Mary Ann Waddell. During the make–work project of the federal government during the Depression, the swimming pool was constructed in the park by the WPA. The area is bounded by West Park Avenue and Warren Avenue. It provided space for a swimming pool, baseball fields, picnic pavillions, ice skating pond, a football/soccer field as wll as acres of open space. Pictured below are the original park lands and the Niles swimming pool.
Aerial view of the land donated to the City of Niles, this would become Waddell Park. PO1.1545	The original Niles Swimming Pool was also known as Waddell Pool, named after its benefactors, which was built as a WPA project during the Great Depression. PO1.1069	View of the pool area showing the diving boards, fountains and wading pool. PO1.1070

Featured below are exterior photographs of the Clingan-Waddell mansion.
Addition built in 1964 for the YMCA.	Garage showing the tile roof.	View of cut stone and brickwork.
Views of the front entrance areas.
Arch over front entrance with cut glass.	Mosaic tile floor inside front entrance.	Front entrance chandelier.
Interior views of the Clingan-Waddell mansion.
Grand stairway to the second floor.	View of grand stairway from landing.	Cut glass windows at the top of the first floor stairway landing.
	Details of newel posts.	Third floor stairway and railing.
Detail of oak flooring showing corner pattern.	Pictured above is the formal dining room with marble fireplace mantel.	Ceiling detail in the formal dining room.
Living room ceiling detail.	Marble fireplace in living room.	Close-up of marble fireplace.
Second floor fireplace.	Detail of fireplace mantel.	Second floor fireplace.
Heidi Jacobs and her daughter Sylvia were the present day owners of the Clingan-Waddell residence. Helen Yakubek, Sylvia’s grandmother purchased the house from the YMCA in 1984. Helen was the Activities Director at Woodside Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio and in the early 1980s was on the state board to look at group homes. She was instrumental in the licensing of group homes in Ohio. She was instrumental in the licensing of group homes in Ohio. The residence became a group home for the mentally disadvantaged from 1984 through August of 2021 offering services to 147 residents during those years. In 1987 Heidi became the manager of the group home. Sylvia, an RN at Northside Hospital, also worked at the group home. Male and female residents occupied the first two floors of the building. The third floor had no fire escape and was not utilized. The house and land were sold this December to the Von Isley Estate LLC for $298,000.00. The new owners plan to renovate and restore the grandeur of the mansion to become an event center for weddings and other celebrations. Right: photograph of the Boy Scout totem pole that was on the north side of the Clingan-Waddell land. S11.52