This building on the northwest corner of Franklin and St. John Streets is frequently thought to have a St. John Street address but it has always been 457 Franklin Street. Now part of Coakley’s Pub, the entrance is on St. John Street.

In 1864, this was the location of William G. King’s drug store and soda fountain. The Aegis & Intelligencer of July 1, 1864, reported:
“Painful Accident—We regret to learn that on Thursday of last week Mr. William G. King, of Havre de Grace, in this county, met with quite a severe accident. It appears that while he was engaged in fixing the cap or screw of a soda fountain, an explosion took place, by which he was painfully burnt and otherwise injured about the face and head. Medical aid was immediately summoned and his sufferings relieved, as far as it could be done. Mr. King is engaged in the drug business, and is a gentleman of popular manners, and much esteemed by those who know him.”

William G. King apparently recovered and continued to operate his drug store that went to William H. and Annie King in 1892, after his death. In 2022 Chris Fair shared a photo of a Castor Oil bottle from King’s pharmacy that he found when renovating his house—it most likely dates to the 1860s. The King family lived here above the drug store. They sold the property “as well as stock of drugs and druggist fixtures” in 1890 to Edward A. Zeitler (1858-1931), who continued operating the drug store as Zeitler Pharmacy. It was in this building that the first telephone in Havre de Grace was installed. Zeitler moved his business, “City Pharmacy,” in 1898 to 324 North Union Avenue, with his wife, Susan Charshee Zeitler. When Edward Zeitler died in 1931 after a long illness, he was still living here (most likely on the second floor). Susan Zeitler continued to own the building until 1946.

Melanie Mackin Ledesma has shared a photo, with spittoons on the floor, of her grandfather's bar, "Mackin's Saloon," here at 457 Franklin Street. The picture is dated April 17, 1934. Her grandfather, Johnnie Mackin (1886-1951) is the grey-haired gentleman behind the bar, her dad Melvin Mackin (1915-1985) is also pictured (far right) behind the bar at 19 years old in the photo. The white bowls on the floor are spittoons—or in the proper terms of the day “cuspidors.” Alice Mackin Pensell was the mother of Gary Pensell (of Tidewater Marina); Alice’s father was Joe Mackin (1888-1955) and her Uncle was Johnnie Mackin.

The building had several owners after 1946, for many of whom it was an investment property. They included Morton and Deane Newmeyer (of the Newmeyer Department Store family) and Ruth E. Sterbak who began the Powder Puff Beauty Salon here with its pink furniture. The Salon was then taken over by Bertina and Barbara Miller, for whom Alice Boyd, Janet Archambault, and Loretta Allen were operators. Later owners of the building were Cecil F. and Kathryn S. Hill (real estate investors), Clark Turner (former developer), Robert J. Marine (insurance executive), James F. LaCalle and Robert L. Creager (investors), and Mary Lynn Snyder (real estate agent) who sold it in 2000 to Margaret and Dwayne Coakley (sister and brother).

This building is one of several that are now encompassed in Coakley’s Pub. The remainder of the Coakley Pub buildings are on St. John Street running north from this corner building.

County Records
Built 1900. Commercial restaurant. 4876 sq ft.