
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.
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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.
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Photographs
of the residence at 219 North Bentley Avenue. |

Pearl Street side view with relocated steps.
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Second Pearl Street side view.
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Rear view of house with pergola. |
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Original water pump and handle. |

Front steps looking towards house.
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Small garden area near Orchard Court.
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Front entrance with added vestibule
area. |

View of garage and workshop.
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Southern side exterior view.
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Dining room window. |

Fireplace in left living room area.
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Living room window view of front porch.
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View of right living room area.
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Stairway landing in living room area.
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Detail of staircase and newell post.
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View of living room with front entrance.
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Lower level garden area.
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Upper level garden area.
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Built-in cabinetry in bedroom. |

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