Around 1804, John Henry O’Neill (1768-1838) established a nail factory on this lot where the employees made hand-wrought nails and spikes. O’Neill was, of course, the city’s Defender during the War of 1812. Bennet Barnes (sometimes Bennett) was the chief nailmaker and they employed about 19 people. After the 1813 attack by the British at Concord Point, and O’Neill’s wounding, it is said that he retreated to the nail factory with his musket and joined Bennet Barnes in firing on barges. The nail manufactory is referenced in connection with run-away slaves who had been “mortgaged” in 1804 [Run Away Slaves by John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger, (New York, 1999), p. 280.] The nail factory building no longer exists and was replaced with this double house. It is not known if this was the same Bennet Barnes who bought 301 St. John Street in 1821 and who by 1832 had died.

When John O’Neill died in 1838, he bequeathed two lots on South Washington Street to his son, William O’Neill, this Lot 242 being one of them, and the other being his former home across the street:

This lot was then passed down from William O’Neill to his son, John William O’Neill (1845-1931), who may have been the builder of this double house. He is said to have been a merchant, a member of the Havre de Grace Improvement Company, and a banker. He owned this house and sold both sides in 1918 to Laura V. Ewing (1867-1969). One year later Ewing sold it to Virginia Frieze who owned it until her death in 1946, when an ownership dispute arose. A court trustee then sold this to Mary Edith Drennen (1882-1976). Mary was the daughter of Irene and Jim Holly, the well-known decoy carver. After the 1944 death of Mary Drennen’s husband, Charles, she sold the two sides of the house separately in 1951. Because the house had always been a double house, it was not necessary to subdivide it.

217 South Washington Street (north side) was bought by Thomas R. and Vera C. Foard who owned it for almost 40 years when Vera sold it to Joseph W. and Barbara Ayres and Kathleen Guzzo in 1989, who was Barbara Ayres’ daughter and lived elsewhere. They deeded the property in 2003 to Kathleen Griffin Guzzo and Kathleen Griffin.

219 South Washington Street (south side) was bought by Edward and Laura Mauldin in 1951 who lived here until the death of Edward in 1968. Laura, however, continued to live here until she died and left the home to their son, Paul Mauldin, in 1985. He owned it until 2000, when he sold the property to Kathleen Guzzo, Senior Vice President/Director of Columbian Bank.

Both sides of this duplex property are now owned by Mary Kathleen Guzzo, a/k/a Kathleen Guzzo and Kathleen Griffin. Kathleen Guzzo also owns other rental properties in Havre de Grace.

County Records
217: Built 1942, 2.5 stories, 1,418 sq ft, 1 bath, 6200 sq ft lot. 219: Built 1842, 1,418 sq ft, 2.5 stories, 1 bath, 5800 sq ft lot.