219 North Bentley Avenue

Postcard of the house at 219 North Bentley. Dated 1910 ca. Original photo: Ethel Latil. The house as it appears in 2023. Note the front steps have been relocated and the widow’s walk railings have been removed on the second floor.	219 North Bentley Avenue. The house, located at 219 North Bentley Avenue was built in 1905 by Arthur and Agnes Cecilie Piper, their children were: Frank Bernard-18, Arthur Cecil-16, Mary-15, Harry-10, and Billie-3 (as reported in 1910 Census). Winifred C. Piper was an adopted daughter. Their daughter, Mary E. lived in the house next and married a Warren pharmacist, Fred C. Lewis. They had two daughters; Virginia and Natalie. Natalie had a son, Robert (Bob), who lived in the house in the 1950s and early 1960s. Fred’s father, Edward Lewis also lived there. Mary Lewis sold the home in late 1965 to Harold and Helen Jobes who sold the house to Marcia M. Peterson in May of the following year. In November 1969 Julius Albert and Ethel Louise Latil purchased the residence and are the present-day owners. The house is situated on a double-lot and originally had eight rooms. The attic had a cistern to collect rainwater for bathroom uses and watering the gardens. The Latils opened up the third floor and built two additional bedrooms to accommodate their eleven children. The original beveled glass windows have been preserved throughout the house.
Photographs of the residence at 219 North Bentley Avenue.
Pearl Street side view with relocated steps.	Second Pearl Street side view.	Rear view of house with pergola.

Original water pump and handle.	Front steps looking towards house.	Small garden area near Orchard Court.

Front entrance with added vestibule area.	View of garage and workshop.	Southern side exterior view.

Dining room window.	Fireplace in left living room area.	Living room window view of front porch.

View of right living room area.	Stairway landing in living room area.	Detail of staircase and newell post.

View of living room with front entrance.	Lower level garden area.	Upper level garden area.

Built-in cabinetry in bedroom.	Built-in cabinetry in master bedroom.	Outdoor table constructed from original first floor furnace grill.

	1954 photograph of cub scouts taken on landing in house at 219 North Bentley Avenue. L-R: First row: David “Bucky” McClain, Ralph Tolbert, Steve Boesel, Tommy James. Second row: Jimmy Kiracofe, John Knight, Bob Holy, and Danny Pruitt. All the cub scouts are wearing their Camp Chickagami badge. Everyone bought their uniforms, both cub and boy scout, at Hoffman’s Department Store in downtown Niles. Hoffman Fire: https://www.nileshistoricalsociety.org/hofmnfire.htm