This is a small formstone apartment building constructed in 1907 by Jonathan Isaac Burns, one of the Burns Brothers who had previously created the Burns Brothers Carriage Factory at Adams and Green Streets. They were five industrious Burns brothers living in Havre de Grace who made a considerable impact on the city. The carriage factory, begun by Walter Elsworth Burns in 1896 on Green Street, is credited with building the first US mail wagon and the city fire company’s horse-drawn vehicles. The first car in Havre de Grace, the Burnsmobile, also was built in their factory. The factory suffered a major fire in 1902 and although they rebuilt it, by 1917 the factory went out of business. It later became a very large apartment building that burned down in 1968 and never replaced.

The Burns brothers’ projects, often with turrets, are easily recognizable. Formstone construction became a Burns distinctive style in Havre de Grace for properties built in the beginning of the century. Some are duplexes and some are rows of similar houses, all built within just a few years of one another. An article by Robert W. Lesley appeared in Cement Age, 1907, stating that a foundation was laid by Jonathan Isaac Burns (1868-1942) for a “double dwelling of concrete and modern design” at this address.

Having built this in 1907, Jonathan Burns and his wife, Ada Kate, lived here and transferred this property to their son, George Franklin Burns (1898-1978) in 1928. George had been living at this address when he was inducted for WWI as a Private. He was a member of the Students’ Army Training Corps or SATC. He received an honorable discharge on December 13, 1918, and he is listed on the Roll of Honor at Tydings Park. George Burns continued to own this apartment building through the death of his parents and for the next 50 years until his Estate sold it in 1979 to Hazel T. Burns (1903-1995), George’s cousin and daughter of Alfred G. Burns.

Roger Kegley says the unit on the west of the first floor was his home when he was growing up. His Dad, Bill Kegley, worked at the nearby J.M. Huber (now Evonik) plant.

Hazel Burns sold the building right away to a group of local businessmen called “Ten Com Properties” and they owned it for the next seven years until 1986 when they sold it to Stephen and Carol Owen of the Owen Realty Company.

In 1997, this apartment building was purchased by George and Carolyn Cox, who live in one of the apartments and have owned and maintained the building well since then.

County Records
Built 1906. 3814 sq ft, 2 stories, no basement, 4 baths, detached garage, 13,721 sq ft lot.