NILES, Ohio — When mother and son Gerna and Joshua Isley first entered what’s now named The Von Isley Estate for the first time, they envisioned a unique family passion project.
“I see opportunities, I see possibilities, you know, bringing something back to life,” said Joshua Isley, the owner of the estate in the Mahoning Valley community of Niles.
“It’s kind of covered up, but everything’s still here,” he said. “They’ve kept a lot of the original, you know they didn’t paint any of this woodwork. It just needed a lot of TLC.”
Joshua Isley owned a DJ business for more than two decades, worked as a videographer and even a wedding officiant, but he has always dreamed of owning his own venue.
So in December 2021, he purchased this 100-year-old, 7,500 square foot property in Niles. It was previously owned by the Clingan family, then used as a YMCA, and most recently, a group home for those with disabilities.
From painting to refurbishing and decorating, the Isleys have been part of this journey over the last year.
However, the family continues to push on with heavy hearts after the loss of Joshua’s father and Gerna’s husband of 50 years, Ralph, who died in March after a three-year battle with cancer.
“That’s really hard,” said Joshua Isley. “It was, you know, somebody that it was almost like a clone of me and he would probably say that I was more of a clone of him cause we do the same things and help each other, but ah, I think he would be very proud.”
The third floor is phase three of six, which will be completed over the next couple of years.
They’re hopeful to start booking and hosting weddings starting in 2023, now that the first floor and venue hall are nearly complete.
Both mother and son praised the local community support in this new venturer and look forward to making new memories as a family and for new couples.
“That family togetherness. That’s something that you need to instill in your children when they’re young, because you know, it’s just all about family staying together and staying connected,” said Gerna Isley
“We felt almost a responsibility to do it right, and to kind of give it back to the community, open our doors so that they could come in and create you know, memories with now their kids and their grandkids. We want to be someplace that people are proud of, that it’s in their own backyard, that it is in Niles,” said Joshua Isley.
The Isleys estimate they will spend upwards of $300,000 on the renovation. However, they view the investment as a labor of love and as a retirement project.
The Von Isley Estate is located at 547 South Main Street in Niles.
