Historical Photos
Our Legacy...
The History of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
From the Beginning...
Pioneers began to inhabit the area of the Mahoning Valley before the time of the American Revolution. A heavily wooded area teeming with wildlife, salt from the springs at Weathersfield was the first commodity that drew white man and Indian alike to the area. Like the salt which they drew from the earth, these were hearty people with a touch of season that arrived to inhabit the area.Here they found an area rich in resources which would support the strong industrial base that would become the Steel Valley. A plentiful water supply, deposits of iron ore and rich veins of coal in Mineral Ridge and Brier Hill in Youngstown were the impetus for the area to become our nation’s cradle of steel. This area would develop in to one of the top three steel making areas in the country. Brothers James, Isaac and Daniel Heaton and Josiah Robbins laid out a village plat west of the Mosquito Creek and north of the Mahoning River on which the community originally known as "Heaton’s Furnace" was first developed.
The area also boasted a grist mill, a saw mill, and an iron forge along with cottages and a company store for workers. The Heaton brothers were great industrialists. They gained importance for having built the charcoal-fired Hopewell Furnace that smelted the first iron ore we of the Allegheny Mountains on John Struthers; farm near Yellow Creek in Struthers, Ohio. They also built the Woolen Mill that included a dam, race, saw mill, woolen factory and the Trumbull hot blast raw-charcoal furnace on the banks of the Mill Creek in Youngstown. The Heatons were largely responsible for the surveying of fifty-four lots in downtown Niles with a log schoolhouse built along the south of the river, the first 16; company store in the Mahoning Valley opened in 1819 and a post office. Another lot became the homestead of William McKinley Sr. whose son, the future president of the United States and a looming figure in the State of Ohio, was born. Heaton chose the name Nilestown; to honor Hezekial Niles, publisher of a Baltimore newspaper for which to name his town. The post office simply shortened the name to "Niles".
Growth of the railroads and discovery of some very lucrative veins of iron ore were factors in stimulating rapid development of the area. The War of 1812 and the Civil War brought further prosperity for the area, as forged metals were in sore need by American interests. Cannonballs were produced by Heaton’s forge near the Federal Street intersection in the defeat by Commodore Perry over the British in the Battle of Lake Erie as early as the War of 1812. The iron made at the Hopewell, Niles and Trumbull furnaces were also molded for kettles, pots and other useful household items. James and Isaac Heaton built a cabin on Robbins Avenue, just beyond a bridge in a spot called by the old residents "Circleville". The name " Circleville" endured for many years. Rare keepsakes of crude irons and kettles are scattered around the Western Reserve. When still a small tot, in 1809, following an old English custom, her father carried her to light the first fire in his new charcoal blast furnace and to give it her name (The Green Cathedral: History of Mill Creek Park by John C. Melnick, M.D.). The McKinley Tin Mill built near the Mahoning River at Depot Street was the first such mill in the country, making Niles the birthplace of the American tin industry. Other industrial enterprises in the area included the Russian Mill and the Falcon Iron and Nail Company.
Numerous factories and businesses followed to create what was now a bustling mill town incorporated as a village in 1864 with H. H. Mason elected as its first mayor. One of the most enduring industries was the Niles Firebrick Company Established by Welshman, John R. Thomas in 1872. Lawrence Pallante was one of the first Bagnoli - Iripino residents to arrive in the area, gained employment at the factory. He returned to his native Italian village and spread the news that employment was possible at the East Park Avenue company. This was a step toward the immigration of many Italians into the Niles area and the growth of the strong tradition which necessitated the formation of an Italian Catholic Parish in the Niles area. For years, Catholic worshippers, mostly immigrants had to travel to Saint Columba Church in Youngstown unti l Saint Stephen’s Church was established as a mission in Niles in 1854. The mission was elevated to a parish in 1865 for the Catholics of Niles and Mineral Ridge. Because of a large influx of Italian immigrants, there was a growing resentment between the Irish and Italians who worshipped at St. Stephens. The Italian immigrants, far from their homes and families, sought security and familiarity of worshipping in Italian and being able to celebrate Italian feasts. Similarly, other Niles congregations were established so people might worship in their native tongues: the Lutherans in German, Presbyterian for Hungarians and the Italians requested an Italian priest which led to the formation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish.
For both pioneers and the immigrants, their churches were a means of keeping their traditions. Requests for an Italian speaking priest were ignored by the Bishop but the Italians did not feel welcome at St. Stephens.Fr. Santagata an Italian priest without credentials began to have church services in a home on Mason Street. He was asked by the Bishop to return to Italy and finally an Italian-speaking priest, Fr. Vito Franco, was brought into Niles to organize a parish in the name of the Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. He celebrated Mass at St. Stephens until the Robbins Home and property was purchased for $6,000.The Robbins Home had been the residence of Josiah Robbins and his wife, Mary Heaton and was rich in historical value to the city. However, there was opposition to the Italians buying the land. In deplorable condition, the home was remodeled to accommodate a chapel and living quarters on the first floor for the new parish.
Early church records show the names of the founding parishioners as follows: Vincenzo Mango, Antonio Bellitti, Guiseppe Campana, Pasquale Carano, Tomaso Cicchitelli, Anthony DeJute, Giovanni Fusco, Frank Guarnieri, Francesco Modarelli, Biagio D’Oronzo, Alessandro Pape, Pasquale Riccardo, Antonio and Pasquale Scarnecchia, Michele Solimando and Giovanni Youll. Second, third and fourth generations of these families still worship at Mount Carmel to date. The Italian Catholic Community found a worship site in the home of Pasquale Scarnecchia which still stands at 449 Mason Street. There were hard times for the new little parish and financial problems bred disenchantment, discouragement and indifference among the people. A few pastors came and left, but under the guidance of Fr. Nicola Santoro the parish came to life a choir was formed, the Mount Carmel Society was formed and plans for church came into existence. No matter how small the demand or need, they (the parishioners) were always ready to assume their share of any want that was presented. In 1922, St. Rita’s club was organized with thirteen spirited, hard-working members; an ethic which is still alive today in the parish. With Fr. Santoro’s leadership, the church continued to unify and grow in many areas (A Legacy, Rev. Peter Nobili, C.PP.S.). In 1923 a committee was formed to begin fundraising for the new church. Records show the committee members: Frank Bernard, Dan and Giuseppe Campana, Anthony DeMasi, John and Leonard Fusco, James Jennings, Vincent LaPolla, Vincenzo Mango, Giuseppe Marra, Giuseppe Maselli, Sam Morabito, Giuseppe Muccio, Joe Pallante, Allesandro Pape, Anthony and Vincenzo Rizzi, Nick Rounds, Joe Ruben, James Sanfry, Michele Salimando and Stanley Tamburro. Work began on the Lombardo style church with many men of the parish contributing their time, labor and equipment along with the contracting company of Anthony DeMasi and William Maddox. Many of these families are still active parishioners at Mount Carmel Church.
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