Monthly Archives: August 2009

    We could not find out a lot about the history of the large brick house at 623 Park Avenue. We know that it was built by Newton Nutall around the turn of the century and then sold to James & Mary Cooney in 1915. The Cooney’s owned the house until 1945 when they sold it to Joseph & Carmela Carofino who lived in the house until selling it in 1969 to Richard Pelloni.
    The Pelloni’s had a number of boys they raised in the brick house so we know that quite a few people have good stories they can share about the house or the families that lived in this house. If you would like to share a story, please leave a comment below or email us your memories by CLICKING HERE.

    The large brick house at 300 Spring Avenue is referred to as the Magee Household after Thomas and Edna bought the house in 1923. Thomas had started dentistry in Ellwood City around 1915 on the 600 block of Lawrence Avenue and continued to practice there for thirty eight years. In 1953 they moved their practice into the building at 108 Fifth Street and were later joined by their son and Doctor Donald Magee.
    We are trying to uncover more of the history behind not only this house but also the families that have lived here. If you have any memories about this house, please leave a comment below or email us your memories by CLICKING HERE. Information for this post was gathered from the book Ellwood City Houses and the People Who Lived in Them by Charles R. Moser available at the Ellwood City Historical Society.

    The beautiful house on the bend at 952 Woodside Avenue is known as the Costa Spoa Home. The house is without a doubt the oldest house in Ellwood City as it was built in 1842 by John I. Wilson. John’s house has stood the test of time as a testiment to the old phrase practice makes perfect as he built and lived in thirty-five different houses long before power tools existed. He was born on the Wilson Farm just north of Ellwood City in 1803. His father James died the same year John was born when a tree fell on him and was the first person laid to rest at the Slippery Rock Cemetery.
    John P. Wilson was given the home on Woodside Avenue upon his return from Civil War where he served with the Roundheads. John P. remained very active with the Civil War Veterans reunions and was elected Vice President at the reunion in 1893 that took place in Ellwood City. He remained in the position through the 1894 reunion in Hazel Dell. John, who passed away in 1913, sold the house to George H. Wilson in 1886 before the house eventually became part of the North Pittsburgh Realty Company. 
    The house changed ownership many times between then and 1949 when Costa Spoa purchased the home. Mr. Spoa is fondly remembered in Ellwood City as a long time grocer and businessman. He opened a number of grocery stores in the Ellwood City area including the store on Wampum Avenue and the grocery store in Christy’s Plaza. The plaza was built by the Spoa family along Route 65 on the grounds of the former hotel Country Squire Inn.   
    If you have a memory you would like to share of Mr. Spoa, the grocery stores, his house on Woodside Avenue, or even the Country Squire Inn, please leave a comment below or email us your memories by CLICKING HERE. Information for this post was gathered from the book Ellwood City Houses and the People Who Lived in Them by Charles R. Moser available at the Ellwood City Historical Society.

   The house at 216 Glen Avenue was built in 1918 by renaissance man, Harry L. Clarke. A veteran of the Spanish-American War, Mr. Clarke pursued at a wide variety of occupations from pedaling newspapers to elected office.
    Harry’s career in Ellwood City after the war included operating a newsstand on Sixth Street, operating a motion picture theater in the 600 block of Lawrence Ave, managing Rock Point Park in it’s final years, running a roller skating rink inside the old American Steel Building at Sixth Street and Spring Avenue, and was superintendent of the Harmony Shortline until the streetcars quit running in 1931. As we mentioned, Mr. Clarke also dabbled in politics and was elected to the borough council in 1913 and in 1918 he was appointed Lawrence County Commissioner when Jacob Corl died.
    Harry Clarke married Daisy May Adams and had two daughters, Naomi J. and Bessie M. (Naomi was named after her grandmother).
    If you have a story you would like to share about the house at 216 Glen Avenue or of the Clarkes, please leave a comment below or email us your memories by CLICKING HERE. Information for this post was gathered from the book Ellwood City Houses and the People Who Lived in Them by Charles R. Moser available at the Ellwood City Historical Society.

    The First Street Bakery was located, as you may have guessed, on First Street between Spring Avenue and Fountain Avenue. We have talked to a couple of people about the bakery but all the information we got, started with “I think it was… “, so I turn it to you. I will tell you what I have discovered, and I hope that if I am incorrect you will help us.
    Pande Tasevic was a co-owner of a bakery on Lawrence Avenue that everyone referred to as the “European Bakery”. Mr. Tasevic left the European Bakery and opened his own bakery at 212 First Street to replace the former Shelby Baking Company that was located at 218 First Street. The Shelby Baking Company had been a part of Ellwood City as early as 1928. Unfortunately we have not yet been able to uncover when the Shelby Baking Company closed in Ellwood City or when the First Street Bakery opened.
    After the First Street Bakery closed its doors for good, the First Street Diner opened in its place. The Diner has changed owners and is still serving Ellwood City today. 
    If you would like to add anything to this post or if we posted anything incorrect, please leave a comment below or email us by CLICKING HERE.
    On a personal note, I grew up around the corner from the First Street Bakery and remember Saturday nights very fondly. We would play touch football out on Spring Avenue under the street light and the bakery would be getting ready for Sunday morning. The entire neighborhood smelled like glazed donuts and you could not wait until Sunday morning.
    We have also heard from a granddaughter of Pande Tasevic still living in Macedonia. Jasmina Naumovska discovered our web site while she was looking to get any information on possible cousins, her grandfather, and any information on his life here in Ellwood City. If you have any information about Mr. Tasevic, please CLICK HERE.