A building appears in this location on the 1885 Sanborn Insurance Map. It was sold by A. Hamlin Carver (1858-1943) and Nettie J. Carver in 1907 to David Fisher. Hamlin was a prominent resident, newspaperman, mayor, and city councilman and the Fishers lived in Manhattan Beach, New York. Having owned it for about 15 years, the Fishers sold it in 1922 to Samuel Ward (1843-1929) and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Ward. After Mary Elizabeth died, Samuel sold it to Berardo “Beni” Ruffini (1884-1955) and Maria Ruffini in 1926. Just two years later, they sold it to Ernesto Rodia (1889-1939) and his wife, Angelina Rodia.

Ernesto Rodia was born in Italy in 1889 and after settling in Havre de Grace he opened a barber shop (Rodia’s Barber Shop) here at #410 in 1928, while his family lived in #412 (through a door marked “Private”). He and Angelina had two sons, Stanley F. Rodia, Sr. (1915-1973) and Ernest J. Rodia (1918-1984), and two daughters, Mary F. Rodia and Jenny R. Rodia. In time, their son Stanley also worked in the barber shop. For a time, Johnny Duff worked in the shop also and Stanley F. Rodia, Jr. remembers his Dad telling Johnny to give razor cuts to attract “new young customers.”

Ernesto Rodia preceded his wife Angelina in death in 1939 and when she died in 1950 she bequeathed this property to her sons, Ernest and Stanley. Three years later, Ernest and his wife Millie conveyed the building to their brother, Stanley F. Rodia, Sr. and his wife, Evelyn, who continued to run the barber shop. When their son-in-law, George “Tuck” Yingling (Angie’s husband) became too ill to continue operating his snack bar at Tydings Park in the 1960s, Stanley and Evelyn stepped in and ran the snack bar for him. Stanley had a couple of different friends continue to run the Barber Shop for him here, including Joe Liberatore. They were still working the snack bar during a busy 4th of July celebration in 1973, after which Stanley suffered a massive heart attack and died three days later. And while Stanley had been elected to the City Council in 1973, he didn’t get to serve for long.

Stanley died intestate so this property vested in his widow, Evelyn Rodia (1919-2009), and their children (Angie (Yingling) Schroeder, Rosalie Mergler, Ernest F. Rodia, and Stanley Rodia, Jr.). Ernest F. Rodia of the Havre de Grace High School Class of 1961, was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2012 for his many professional and personal accomplishments.

Together, Evelyn and her children sold the building in 1974 to Blane H. Miller and his wife, Arlene. Blane was a WWII Navy veteran and worked at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. However, ownership reverted to The Columbian Bank in January 1993 and they sold the property in April 1994 to 412 St. John Street, LLC, the following year. In December 2000 the property was bought by William C. and Sherri L. Correll who ran The Susquehanna Station and Bar, a restaurant and tavern, here. Five years later, they sold the property to Concord Properties, Inc. (Dwayne and Margaret Coakley, the owners of Coakley’s Pub). In April 2015 Concord Properties was dissolved and became Two Fish Bowls, LLC.

Coakley’s Pub has now expanded south into the corner building at Franklin and St. John Streets, as well as into the buildings north of here on the west side of St. John Street. This specific building has been completely rebuilt and redesigned and no longer has a front entrance—it serves to connect the interiors. It is entered from #414, “Coakley’s Pub Next Door.” Collectively the buildings are known as Coakley’s Pub and celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2017. The business is now owned by Two Fish Bowls, LLC.

County Records
Built 1920. 3203 sq ft restaurant, 1408 sq ft lot.