History as Researched by the Study

History as Reseached for the Historic Little Italy Revitalization Project

by Poggemeyer Design Group/Kidder Wachter Architects

The Little Italy neighborhood has experienced significant changes and cycles over the past century. German immigrants populated the neighborhood in the 1880’s and built many of the houses, commercial buildings, and churches. The proximity to Erie’s significant manufacturing facilities resulted in the neighborhood being populated with factory and mill workers who were able to walk to their jobs at the nearby factories. The proximity of the neighborhood to Erie’s central business district was also an asset for immigrants to the area.

Italian immigrants arrived in Erie around 1900, settling mainly in the area bounded by the Nickel Plate Railroad to the south (now West 19th Street), Sassafras Street to the east, Cranberry Street to the west, and the factories that lined the railroads to the north, primarily along West 14th Street. Many of the Italians were employed in the mills and factories, while others started small businesses. The area gradually took on an Italian influence as the Germans migrated south and east of the neighborhood. St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church was constructed by the Italian residents, and the small Italian businesses flourished by catering to the needs of the Italians.

After World War II, residents of the neighborhood began moving to larger homes in the newer parts of the City. The proliferation of the automobile hastened the out-migration of Italian residents from the neighborhood, and other ethnic groups began moving into the area. Area manufacturing jobs attracted this next wave of immigrants, as did the availability of lower-cost housing.

In an October 2007 presentation to the St. Paul’s Italian-American Women’s Group, City Council Member Pat Cappabianca reminisced about life in Little Italy in its golden days. He recounted the number of businesses present in the neighborhood, mostly along West 18th Street: Italian newspapers, pharmacies, an undertaker, many grocery stores, cafes, shoe stores, photographers, an optical shop, an ice cream shop, nine Italian clubs (each representing a different section of Italy), five doctors, many movie theaters (movies were 10 cents!), two banks (one the Bank of Italy), and several department stores. Members of the audience fondly remembered AK Lunch, where you could buy 5 Greek Hamburgers for 25 cents!

These Italian immigrants left many positive impacts on the City of Erie in a wide variety of professions and enterprises. Those were indeed the golden years of Little Italy.

In the 1960’s, as the remaining Italians got older, the social fabric of the Little Italy neighborhood began to deteriorate. The children of the Italian shopkeepers and other small businesses left the family businesses along the West 18th Street commercial corridor for other pursuits. Newer shopping centers that were now accessible by automobile competed successfully for local consumer dollars, adding to the demise of many local neighborhood shops. Many social clubs, restaurants, and neighborhood churches lost their memberships and patronage, and private investment in the area began to evaporate.

During the 1970’s, various attempts were made to resurrect the West 18th Street commercial district by emulating the suburban auto-oriented model. Setbacks were changed to accommodate parking in front of the buildings. The percentage of owner-occupied homes decreased during this time, as did the rate of investment and routine maintenance of housing and properties. To compound problems, many of the manufacturing jobs in local plants and factories were lost to other parts of the country.

As would be expected, the neighborhood began to experience increased crime and drug problems. By the 1980’s and 1990’s, much of the housing stock became extremely deteriorated due to lack of maintenance. Absentee landlords dominated the neighborhood and 20% of the families were below the poverty level. Residents could not support local businesses. Social service agencies gradually replaced shops and restaurants to provide high quality support services to local residents. These agencies helped create a family-friendly environment that continues to attract diverse ethnic groups, especially those that are new to the Erie area. These agencies provide educational services, art and music classes, home ownership counseling and other critical activities and skills.

In 2002, efforts began in earnest to demolish deteriorated structures and to encourage home ownership. A Weed and Seed program and the Little Italy Neighborhood Watch program became active and were successful in reducing crime. The Sisters of Saint Joseph Neighborhood Network partnered with the Housing and Neighborhood Development Service to rehabilitate homes and make them more available to qualified homeowners. Improvements to the neighborhood were beginning.

by Poggemeyer Design Group/Kidder Wachter Architects - February, 2008

Back to Top

###