Monday, December 3, 2001
The writer plans to restore the Fenton Street house built in 1900 by his great-grandfather.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Phoenix resident Robrt Pela grew up hearing stories about Niles.
His parents, brothers and sisters grew up in the city. Pela was born here, but the family moved to Arizona in 1963 when he was 14 months old to curb one brother's asthma symptoms.
When the family returned for visits as Pela was growing up, all of the family members shared memories of the city except him. He used to make his father drive him around the city, pointing out all of the houses where the family lived.
"I was just interested in the whole Niles thing and all the mythology of it growing up," he said. "It sounded lovely. I grew up hearing about going to school with cousins and living up the street from aunts and uncles, and I lived here in the harsh sun in a big city."
Some of his cousins still live in Trumbull County. His immediate family remains in Phoenix.
Returning to Niles: In October 2000, he returned to the city with his father for his grandmother's funeral. Father and son took another drive around the city like those they enjoyed when Pela was a boy.
When they drove up to the house at 611 Fenton St. built by Pela's great-grandfather in 1900, the front door was open so they went inside, finding a real estate agent.
The house was in bad shape, but he bought it anyway. He plans to restore the house and use it as a getaway, particularly when he's working on deadline. Pela is a theater critic for New Times and the National Public Radio station, both in Phoenix, and writes for The Advocate and Men's Fitness.
He's recently written a book of essays about movie director John Waters, which is to be released in June.
"Five generations of my family lived in the house," Pela said.
It's the first house his family built when they immigrated to the United States from Italy. Pela also recently bought a house in a 12th-century village in France.
Handed down: Pela's grandparents received the Fenton Street house as a wedding gift in 1920. His grandfather moved the house to 611 Fenton St., and his grandparents lived there while his grandfather built a larger house on the same lot.
Pela's father was born in the 611 Fenton house, delivered by Pela's grandmother, who was a midwife. When the larger house at 609 Fenton St. was built, his grandparents moved into it and moved his great-grandparents into the smaller home.
When Pela's parents married in 1946, they were given the house as a wedding gift. After they started having kids and outgrew the house, it was given to an aunt, and was eventually sold out of the family in 1971.
Pela's great-grandfather built the same-style house throughout Youngstown and Warren.
"I was back in town last summer and I just about got whiplash," he said. "The house is all over town."
Pela plans to restore the house to the way it looked when his parents moved out in the late-1940s or early 1950s.
"Most of my friends think I'm completely insane," he said.
But the house gives him a tangible link to his family's hometown.
"All my life I was raised by people from Niles, Ohio, in Phoenix, Ariz."
His brothers and sisters, the youngest of whom is seven years older than Pela, attended Mount Carmel school, learning from the same teachers their parents did.
"I went to public school in Arizona," he said.
Renovations: Work on the house started over Thanksgiving weekend. He initially intended to hire contractors to do the bulk of the work, but some of his brothers, who work in building trades, want to help with the project.
"I'm looking forward to a family project," Pela said. "My brothers are all so much older than me. When I got old enough to participate in projects, they were in college or married."
Pela hopes to finish the project by next Thanksgiving.
"I'd like to spend Thanksgiving here every year and hopefully some of the family in Phoenix will join us," he said.