Description MIHP HA-1176, June 1977
https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/Harford/HA-1176.pdf
“Built in the early 1900s, the Brown House shows the continued influence and popularity of the Gothic Revival style in Havre de Grace architecture into the twentieth century. The house is frame, two and a half stories high and three bays wide under a slate roof. It is painted a light and dark olive color with cream trim and in excellent condition. Subtle darkening of the olive paint in the attic gables serves to highlight their pattern of fish scale shingles. . . A slightly above grade three-bay porch with hipped roof supported by scroll bracketed turned and chamfered posts extends across the front elevation. The house has a large yard at the rear and on the sides.” At the time of the inventory, this house was owned by Wayne E. Brown.

The land on which this house was built in 1917 is adjacent to the Moore Family Homestead property. Having previously been owned by Robert Seneca (of the Seneca Cannery) this land was sold by Francis and Mary Desverreaux of Baltimore City in June 1900 to Captain Henry “Harry” O’Neill Moore (1864-1945) and his wife, Evaleen. Captain Harry Moore was the grandson of William S. Moore (1817-1877) and Mary O’Neill Moore (1828-1912) who built the homestead at 710 Market Street. Just three years later, in October 1903, the Captain and Evaleen sold this lot of ground to Mathew and Margareth Abt of New York City. After the death of Mathew Abt in 1912, his widow sold this property to James B. Lear of Havre de Grace (1879-1970) in 1917. It is believed that James Lear built this Gothic Revival-styled home soon after buying the lot, where he and his wife, May E. Lear, lived together until her death in 1935.

James Lear continued to own this home until his own death in 1970, following which he bequeathed it to their two children, James Oliver Lear and Jane E. Turner. They sold the home in 1972 to David L. Malin. He is known for owning several investment properties in Havre de Grace over the years. Although he only owned this house for a year, David has said that during the devastating Hurricane Agnes in June 1972, when there was fear that the Conowingo Dam might not hold and the town was evacuated, he waited out the hurricane in this house.

The following year, David Malin sold this home to Wayne Evans Brown and Susan Malin Brown, Susan being his sister. David and Susan are the children of Flora and Harry G. Malin (1921-2005); he was the founder of the local theater group, the Tidewater Players, who still perform productions in the Havre de Grace Opera House. The Browns owned the home until 1986 when they sold it to Allan C. Cleary. In 1997 Allan Cleary sold this to Janice Emerling and Paul D. Rogerson, her husband. Janice was a nurse midwife who had a practice on North Union Avenue.

In 1999, this home was bought by Brenda D. Guldenzopf (1962-2010) and David B. Guldenzopf who renovated and expanded this home. They lived here with their daughters, Ceili and Holly. Brenda was employed in both archeology and as a museum professional in Connecticut, New Mexico, Ontario, and Scotland. She became the Executive Director of the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum in 2001 and, in addition, in 2009 she was elected to the Havre de Grace City Council. Sadly, in July 2010, Brenda lost her life to cancer. David Guldenzopf and their children continued to live here until 2015 when they sold the house to Kirk R. Meyer and Alicia Meyer.

The Meyers have made further improvements to the property including adding a two-story garage in 2016 at the rear of the property that opens onto Strawberry Lane. This property received an award from the Havre de Grace Historic Preservation Commission in 2021.

County Records
3,812 sq ft, 2.5 stories, basement, 4 bathrooms, 12,000 sq ft lot, detached garage.