The most remarkable fact about this house today is that the lady who owns this and lived here with her husband, Charles F. Mitchell, until his death in August 2020 was born in this house about 90 years ago! Olive Emma “Pete” Sharp Mitchell and Charles F. Mitchell (born in 1929) owned this home and lived here for many years. Even in an historic town such as Havre de Grace, this is rare.

In 1890 this lot of land was owned by members of the John Hopper family (proprietor of the Hopper Hotel, near the Lockhouse in the mid-1800s). A dispute over ownership of this land reached the Circuit Court of Harford County, which was resolved by having a Trustee sell the lot in 1892 to Sallie A. Dennis and Peter Lesley Hopper, her brother. Both were children of John Hopper and had grown up in the Barnes-Hopper House at 701 North Adams Street. Peter Hopper created the Hopper Map of Havre de Grace, which is still in use. In 1907, however, Sallie Dennis sold her rights to Peter, who sold the property in 1911 to John and Lillie May Krieg. Unfortunately, the deeds do not make it clear whether this house was built by Hopper prior to the sale or by the Kriegs after the 1911 sale.

In 1919, John and Lillie Krieg (sometimes spelled Kreig) sold the property to Laura Jackson and her husband Marion Jackson (1868-1942), for life, with remainder to Cyrus E. Jackson and Wilford E. Jackson, their sons. By the 1940 Census, Marion and Laura Jackson were living here with their sons, Cyrus and Wilford; their daughter Mary Olive Jackson Sharp and Mary’s husband, Claude S. Sharp (1903-1946); and their 10-year-old granddaughter, Olive Emma Sharp, who had been born in the house.

Claude Sharp met an early death in 1946 when walking home from Perryville across the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge and fell into the Susquehanna River off Perry Point. He worked in Baltimore as a telegraph operator and frequently rode the train to Perryville and walked home. At the age of 44 he was missing for a week before his body was found and identified by papers in his wallet. Dr. R.C. Dodson gave a verdict of accidental drowning. How he fell overboard has never been determined.

By 1949, the widowed Mary Olive Sharp (1901-1995) owned a one-half interest in this house and by 1953, her daughter, Olive Emma Sharp owned the other one-half interest. At some point, Olive Emma Sharp met and married Charles F. Mitchell and the property was deeded in 1959 to Mary Olive Sharp for the term of her natural life with the provision that after her death it would go to Charles F. Mitchell and Olive Emma Sharp Mitchell, his wife. However, before that happened, Mary Olive Sharp deeded the home in 1978 to Charles F. Mitchell and his wife, Olive "Pete" Mitchell, who had raised two daughters. Charles was a veteran who had served in the Army in Korea and retired as a program analyst in the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

The Mitchells opened their home to the 1984 Annual Candlelight Tour. It was described as a century-old house reminiscent of the 19th century in its furnishings and décor. The red walls and white woodwork in the hall were dramatic. The parlor on the right of the entrance had yellow walls and white trim, a red Chippendale chair, and yellow sofa and cream and white lamps. The living room to the left was red and gold; and the green and white dining room retained its original white mantle. A family garden room that they had completed in 1974 featured a floor of Spanish tile. Gary Wychgram, an interior decorator in Wilmington, assisted the Mitchells in decorating their home.

Charles and Pete Mitchell lived independently in this home where Pete was born until August 2020 when Charles died at 91, having been married for 64 years. This continues to be the home of Olive “Pete” Sharp Mitchell.

County Records
Built 1935. 2962 sq ft, 2 stories with basement, 2 baths, 12,000 sq ft lot.