Individual Membership: $20.00
Family Membership: $30.00
Patron Membership: $50.00
Business Membership: $100.00
Lifetime Membership: $500.00
Corporate Membership:
Call 330.544.2143
Do you love the history of Niles,
Ohio and want to preserve that history and memories of events for
future generations?
Click
here to donate:
As a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization, your donation is tax deductible. When you click on
the Donate Button, you will be taken to a secure Website where your
donation will entered and a receipt generated.

Read or Download:
Niles
Historical Society
5-Year Strategic Plan
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Built
in 1862, the Ward Thomas House was the home of two prominent Niles
industrial families. James Ward, who built the house,
was a pioneer in the iron industry in the Mahoning Valley. He
built puddling plants, Falcon Nail and Iron Company and the Russia
mill for manufacturing steel.
The second
owners were John and Margaret Thomas who came
to this country from Wales. The Thomas family founded the Niles
Firebrick Company and later, Mahoning Valley Steel. The Thomas
family occupied the house until 1969 when the property was deeded
to the City of Niles. Through the efforts of Clare Westenfield,
a local attorney, the house became the home of the Niles Historical
Society.
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The
house is now a museum consisting of fourteen rooms, many furnished
in the style of the period, some with furniture owned by the Thomas
family and donated to the museum. The museum collection has more
than 5000 items, including many from the two families. Throughout
the museum, mannequins wear life size replicas of the White House
ladies’ gowns displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in
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Also
on the five acre property are a recently restored barn and a 1925
green house as well a various gardens and 56 varieties of trees
in the arboretum. Care of the house and gardens is done by volunteers
and the house is decorated appropriately for each season. |
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Proceeding from
the back porch of the Ward-Thomas house, a walk-way leads to a
secondary building. This building is used as a workspace for the
greenhouse.
The
first Sunday of each month the Thomas House is open to the public
from 2 - 5 pm.
The last tour begins at 4:00 pm and ends at 5:00 pm.
Additional
guided tours may be arranged by contacting the Niles
Historical Society
or calling: 330.544.2143. |
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Join the Niles Historical
Society and Help Preserve Niles’ History
The Niles Historical Society
mission is to preserve and promote Niles history and share
that history with the community.
Click
here to join or renew your Niles Historical Society membership.
Calendar of
Events September
Heritage Day
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Heritage Day presentations
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Heritage Day Yard Sale
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Donations for Yard Sale
Accepted beginning August 27, 2022
Please call 330-719-5716 or 330-652-8329
September Open House
Saturday, September 10, 2022
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM as part of Heritage Day
October Open House
Sunday, October 2, 2022, 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Last tour at 4:00 PM
Westenfield Room Meetings:
October business meeting: October 1, 2022
Newsletter:
The Society will gladly publish
stories of the accomplishments of current or former residents
of Niles.
Contact: Anna Marie Beagle ambgeb@aol.com
Update on the Ward-Thomas
property:
The Westenfield Room, the old carriage house, which serves
as a meeting space has been renovated and is now open again.
The improvements include: proper insulation, painting, flooring
and temperature – humidity control.
Advisory Committee sought:
It is necessary to form a committee to determine the direction
to take with the monies in the New Building Fund account that
was begun in 2011. The Society requires an improved space
for education, research and storage of the collection. At
this time there is not adequate space or temperature and humidity
control to accept any more physical donations.
There is a proposed rendition
for a facility that would be expensive to build and maintain.
The amount of money in this fund is not adequate to cover
the expense of this lofty plan. The Board of the Society seeks
input from members on how to best use the building fund monies
to provide an improved space.
I implore members to weigh in
on this discussion. Average attendance at meetings is approximately
ten members who should not be making this enormous decision
for an organization with over three hundred members.
Please contact Anna Marie Beagle at ambgeb@aol.com for further
discussion.
Thank you, Anna Marie Beagle,
President.
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Tour
the Buildings and Garden

Ward-Thomas
House

1924 Green
House
Memberships Available:
The yearly membership drive is
underway with fees of $20 for individuals, $30 for families,
$50 for patron level, $100 for businesses and organizations
and $500 for life memberships. Memberships support the society's
programs and includes the bimonthly newsletter.
Gift Ideas:
Society memberships may be obtained for
$20.00 an individual and $30.00 for a family. $50.00 for a Patron,
$100.00 for a business, and $500.00 for a life-time membership.
All are welcome to join. Members
receive the newsletter six times/year and free admission to
the Ward-Thomas Museum when open on the first Sunday of the
month.
Gifts with a Niles' History connection. Click
on link below:
Try one of
the many Niles Historical books.
Books vary in price.
Sample of book content

'A
Pictorial History of the Buildings of Niles Ohio'
Over 200
pages and 400 high resolution photographs
To order
your book call: Sandy at: 330.652.8329
Niles Historical Society Office at: 330.544.2143
or Email Us
Price:
$40.00 local pickup or $45.00 shipped
To save on shipping costs, all
of the listed books are available for purchase at any Ward-Thomas
Museum open house.
Shipping/Mailing costs are $5.00 for each book ordered.
Please make checks out to: Niles
Historical Society
Send your name, address and phone number, and check to cover
costs to:
Niles Historical Society
P. O. 368
Niles, Ohio 44446
Thank You
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