The large brick building that used to be here was owned by Clyde B. Mitchell (1897-1966) and his wife, Lucy. Mitchell was a former Director of the First National Bank. Known as the Riverton Building, this property is shown on the 1921, 1930, and 1955 Sanborn Insurance Maps. It had apartments and offices.

One tenant in 1925 was E.P. Wickersham, a fire insurance agent. Another tenant in the 1930s-1940s was Reese Norris Burns who operated a real estate and fire insurance business. Reese Burns was one of the five brothers who founded the Burns Brothers Carriage Factory on Green Street at the beginning of the 20th century and built several houses in town. Reese Burns died suddenly in 1946 while waiting in his office here for an appointment. Louis H. Miller, who owned the building in 1971 was also Vice President of the adjacent Columbian Building Association of Harford County.

At the rear of 313 St. John Street in 1947, W. Mervin Fox sold guns. He advertised that he repaired, reblued, restocked, bought, sold, and exchanged them, but his specialty was “commercial blacking.” In 1945 William Mervin Fox was awarded a patent for a “grenade adapter.”

In the late 1950s, Carlton H. Rigler, Sr. (1921-1999) opened the C.H. Rigler Furniture Store here and sold furniture, appliances, televisions, and floor coverings, sometimes with help from his wife, Nettie. They also rented apartments in the building, and for a short time Miles Thorpy operated a pool room in the basement. Unfortunately, in 1976 a huge fire demolished the entire building and injured one firefighter. Following the fire, a courtyard complex of small stores was constructed with a flagpole in the shape of a ship’s mast decorated with some nautical flags.

In 1977, Concord Point Sailmakers operated in 311-313, owned by Arnold and Elsie Stackhouse. And Joe Roberts remembers that around 1982, Havre de Grace had an FBI field office, with two full-time agents. In 1982, Concord Point Sails & Rigging continued to operate at 311, followed by East Coast Divers in 1995. In a section of the property called “The Loft,” was an art display by local artists, later called The Abbe Art Gallery. A number of shops followed in 311, including Courtyard Gifts, Chez Mole, Christmas Magic, The Rampant Lion (an artisan gallery), Wonder Toys in 2012, and in 2015 Stirling Bridge Jewelry.

315 St. John Street was Touch of Glass in 1982, operated by Bill and Cindy Hallock. The shop was filled with stained glass pieces, many of which featured ducks in their design, and also sold hand-crafted gifts depicting the Chesapeake Bay. Around 1989 it became the home of Courtyard Books, with out-of-print and antiquarian books and owned by Jack Kelly. In 2009 he moved the business across the street to 316 St. John Street when The Record vacated that building. Jack Kelly has since closed the shop and retired.

The property is now part of the large complex described under 309 St. John Street.