The large parcel of land at the southeast corner of North Adams and Erie Streets originally stretched south to Hoppers Lane (including what is now known as 715 North Adams Street) and east on Erie Street (including what is now known as 632 Erie Street). The land was first owned by John C. Salik (1840-1901) and his wife, Lydia Salik. After the 1910 death of Lydia, two of their four children, Charles Salik and Catherine Thorpy, inherited the land and sold it to Richard Long. Richard and his wife, Lillian M. Long, sold the unimproved land in 1913 to Peter Babec (1890-1939).

Peter Babec had been born in Capelovic, Austria, and arrived in the U.S. through Ellis Island in 1907; he became a naturalized citizen in 1916. His wife was Veronica “Vera” Pincher Babec (1890-1965) and they had five children who were born before they built this house. Their children were Lilyan, Joseph, Peter, Lee, and Lambert. While their former address in Havre de Grace is unknown, it is known that Peter and two other men from Havre de Grace were arrested in 1921 for selling “intoxicating liquor”!

In 1928, Peter Babec hired Thomas Borneman (1887-1967) a local contractor to build this large arts and crafts mansion for his family. A cornerstone engraved “Babec 1928” is still visible at the intersection. A strikingly unique home in Havre de Grace, with stucco finish, the exterior design has changed very little since its construction. When Peter died in 1939 he left the property to his wife, Vera Babec.

This large home quickly transitioned in the 1940s to being a hotel, restaurant, and bar, simply known as “Babec’s” and run by Vera and the adult children. However, people have said it may have been operating as such informally for several years before that. One story from Peggy Babec is that a family member has some old photos of Vera Babec sitting on the laps of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin on the porch during the height of The Graw Racetrack and speakeasy days. Another story is that Babe Ruth used to drink in the basement of the home and signed a baseball for one of the children.

By that time the family had divided the original land and built a home at 632 Erie Street (demolished and rebuilt since then) that was the home of Lambert H. and Doris Laye Babec; they had also built a home at the northeast corner of Hoppers Lane and North Adams Street (715 North Adams Street). The latter was sold by Lambert and Doris Babec in 1982. Lambert was a WWII Navy veteran who worked at the nearby Veterans Hospital at Perry Point until he retired. Lambert also was a partner with Dr. John Carriere in a local real estate company named Babcar Company, Inc.

Vera sold the mansion to her son, Lee G. Babec (1920-1984) and his wife, Ruth, in 1955. They converted the house into apartments. The apartment in the basement was where Ruth Babec had a ceramics shop, Ruth’s Riverside Ceramics, and also held classes. Paula Boyd remembers going there every weekend when she was seven years old and where for 50 cents she could paint ceramic items. Lee and Ruth Babec continued to own the mansion until they sold it in 1979 to William E. and Brenda W. Gibson in 1979. Six years later, however, Brenda Gibson sold her interest in the property to William E. Gibson as part of a marital separation agreement.

For the next 33 years, this mansion was owned and operated by William E. Gibson (b. 1932) as an apartment building. In July 2018, William Gibson sold this property to LGMD Properties, LLC, who continue to operate the building as an apartment house. In 2021 they painted the house in a distinctive mustard-yellow color.

County Records
Built 1928. 4,152 square ft, apartments, 6 baths, 2.5 stories, finished basement, 9180 sq ft lot.