The land on which this brick rancher is now located at the southwest corner of Union Avenue and Giles Street apparently was much desired land in the early 1800s. Curiously, however, no record of another house being on this lot before this one has been found and none is shown on any of the Sanborn Insurance Maps.

One of the lots was sold by James H. Carter to Hugh Boyle and his wife, Agnes Boyle in 1837. It was sold in 1845 by a Court Trustee to the highest bidder who was Captain William W. Virdin (1803-1871), prominent among the earliest steamboat captains in Baltimore and Captain of the 453-ton “Susquehanna” steamboat, with 1,200-person capacity. Agnes Boyle had to relinquish any claim of dower that she had in the property. The second lot was also acquired by Captain William Virdin in 1855 when the Harford County Collector of Taxes sold it to him. The Captain was for many years connected with the PW&B Railroad in Havre de Grace and Baltimore and was conspicuous in matters relating to railroad and steamboat improvements.

Captain Virdin acquired several other properties prior to his 1871 death in Baltimore many of which were inherited by his son, Dr. William W. Virdin (1829-1897), a prominent physician in Harford County and lived near Lapidum. Other properties of the Captain were auctioned by his son at the United States Hotel in 1875. This property then passed to Dr. Virdin’s widow, Kate E.L. Virdin (1839-1908). In 1922, Kate’s Executrix sold this property to Henry B. and Angie W. Courtney. Ten years later the Courtneys sold the land to James K. Conner and M. Lareine Pennington Conner (1907-2009). Lareine was the daughter of Dr. Lee R. Pennington (of the well-known local Pennington family and a dentist) and Mary Lareine, his wife. Within seven months of buying this property, the Conners sold it in 1933 to the Hajoka Corporation of Philadelphia, a privately held wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating and industrial supplies (the Conners later moved to Ridley Park, near Philadelphia, but that may not have any significance).

That same year, 1933, the Hajoka Corporation sold the land to the widowed Nellie E. Case (1884-1969), who also acquired the adjoining Lot 367 four years later. When Nellie died she devised the property to her nephew, Nelson J. Ballard of Arlington, Virginia. He and his wife, Willis Ballard, sold the lots that same year of 1969 to Priscilla Dye Trollinger (1895-1983), who was the widow of Dr. Arvin Earl Trollinger (1897-1966). Dr. Trollinger served as a Lt-Col in the Medical Corps during WWI and WWII and was on the staff of the Veterans Administration Hospital at Perry Point. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. It is believed that Priscilla Trollinger had this home built by 1970 and she lived here until her death in 1983.

After Priscilla Trollinger died, her estate sold the home to Ella M. Mooney (1925-2013), who also was a widow. Ella worked for several years for Cytec in Havre de Grace as a nurse and was also a member of St. Patrick’s Church. She later married Madison B. Bordley, who had served in the U.S. Navy in WWII, and retired with the rank of Lt. Commander. He also predeceased Ella Bordley. In 2005, Ella deeded the home to her six children, reserving a life estate for herself. After Ella’s death in 2013, her children sold the house to one of their siblings, Teresa A. Perkins and her husband, James C. Perkins 3rd who continue to own it.

County Records
Built 1970. 1525 sq ft, one story with basement, brick, 1.5 baths, attached garage, 6750 sq ft lot.