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- Niagara Gazette - 1972
By VIRGINIA HOWARD
Gazette Correspondent
THE NICKNAME, "the Chiseler," has been
given to a long-time Lewiston resident, in
admiration rather than the more familiar slang
interpretation of 'getting something for nothing.'
Peter Vevirit of 200 Mohawk St. was -affectionatelycalled
"the Chisler" by his brothers for
his wood carving ability.
His first tools were a chisel and a nut pick. He
worked on a piece of wood in the Vevirit Brothers
Lumber company and surprised even himself with
the result.
His love for the feel of wdod is evident in the
beautiful wood carvings he has in his home, including
his earliest piece, a profile of Abraham
Lincoln.
Peter's favorite is a plaque on which the
Biblical characters Ha gar and Ismael are carved
in deep natural color walnut mounted on a chestnut
background for contrast.
The plaque won recognition in a Canadian art
show.
"People wanted to buy my figures right from
the first carvings," Peter said, He admitted that
some had sold at excellent prices.
"But I couldn't part with some and today I am
so glad that I kept them."
,, Many of his carvings were copied from a model
which was only a small picture in a newspaper,
book or encyclopedia.
LESSONS? This artisan is self-taught and has
trained his hands to define the^small tracery of
lines, fingers and toes, locks-of hair and facial
expressions which he desires. He often uses his own
feet and hands for models.
Most of his figures are created from a solid
block of walnut, his favorite wood, which'grows in
different degrees of hardness. The warm, rich color
responds to lights and shadows.'and when finished
has a beautiful patina.
The Vevirits' daughter brought her father a
tiny two inch carved figure of Saint Francis Assisi
from Germany. Mr. Vevirit has created a beautiful
15 inch high replica of the figure with the graceful
folds of his robe and the Saint's hands holding a
piir of tiny doves.
In this piece Peter carved the head separately
with a peg type base that drops into a hole in the
neck so it.can be tilted to give the desired angle of
the head.
Peter's grandmother was a Cellini and
believed descended from the famous early Italian
sculptor and goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini: "Certainly
the family, characteristic of talent came
down through the generations in various forms to
the Vevirit brothers, mostly as workers with wood.
THE TWO OLDER brothers, the late Joseph
and Thomas, started the-Vevirit Lumber Co. in
Lewiston in 1920. They were well known craftsmen
making stairways, furniture and repairing furniture.
They reconstructed the windows at Old Fort
Niagara and remodeled many of the fine old homes
in the area.
Peter joined them as an assistant in 1928 and
remained until 1942 when he left to work in
essential industry, the Union Carbide and Atomic
Energy in the war years.
He was last employed by the Niagara Frontier
State Parks retiring five years ago.
Another brother, James Vevirit, is an industrial
designer in; Buffalo.
The parents of the four brothers emigrated
from Italy to Long Island where Sulvan Vevirit
became a gardener on an estate. The four boys
were born in the United States.
On the death of the owner of the estate employment
was difficult and Mrs. Vevirit took the
children back to her family in Italy when Peter was
18 months old.
Mr. Vevirit came to the Lewiston area looking
for work and sent for his family. They settled on
Swan Road.
During World War I days Peter met his future
wife, the former Olive Wright, who was studying to
be a teacher at the Buffalo Normal, forerunner of
N.Y. State College for Teachers.
His enlistment in-this war was of short
duration. He left for induction in the army and
returned home the same day which proved to be
Armistice Day. (All inductees were told they were
no longer needed, much to his bride's relief.)
Mrs. Vevirit was a treasurer in the local school
systems for 35 years, serving first as a board
member and then treasurer of the board of the old
Lewiston School District, until centralization, when
she continued as treasurer in the Lewiston-Porter
system.
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1897 - 1975 (77 years)