The land on which this large home was built, as well as several adjacent lots, was owned by Jacob W. Hoopman and his wife, Susan, of Philadelphia when in 1875 they sold it to John A. Hopper (1804-1878) and his wife Elizabeth. John Hopper was an extensive landowner, including the “Swansbury Farm” in Aberdeen and the “Lime Kiln” property in Havre de Grace. John and Elizabeth had purchased the “Barnes-Hopper House” at 701 North Adams Street in 1864 where they raised their children, Peter “Lesley” Hopper (1856-1917) and Sallie A. Dennis (1847-1908), and one other brother about whom little is known. Peter Lesley Hopper served as the Havre de Grace Mayor in 1888 but is better known for having created the Hopper Map of Havre de Grace—1899, which he compiled from an original survey and is still used today.

After the John Hopper died intestate in 1878, a land ownership dispute arose which the court resolved by ordering John Hopper’s property be sold to Harrison Hopper. He was a Civil War veteran having fought for the Union; however, Harrison “failed to comply with the terms of the sale” imposed by the court so after much litigation the court ordered all the properties sold at public auction in 1902 to Peter Lesley Hopper and Sallie A. Dennis, his sister.

Two lots (290 and 291 in Square 162) of the extensive property were sold by the Trustee, Hopper, and Dennis in 1904 to Annie Howlett (1826-1909). Annie was the widow of Richard Thomas "Dick" Howlett (1809-1890s), a master-decoy maker who trained under the highly regarded John "Daddy" Holly and whose decoys are still marketed today. When Annie died intestate in 1909, this property was inherited by their son and heir, George Henry Howlett (1868-1939) and his wife, Mary Ann “Mamie” Howlett. George was known locally as a member of the Bayside Cornet Band that performed concerts in the city until around 1915. George and Mamie sold the property within a year to Anna Griesbeck. She, however, sold the property just two months later to Michael M. Millard.

In 1913, Michael and Annie Millard sold the two lots to Harry Watson Sentman (1886-1935) and Martha Elizabeth “Mattie” Snow Sentman (1883-1968). Harry was the son of Norman Munson Sentman (1858-1945) and grandson of Eli Selcer Sentman (1833-1902) of Cecil County who formed Sentman and Sons, building contractors. Eli Sentman was well known in both Cecil and Harford Counties for his quality workmanship; he constructed the Hecht Hotel on Green Street, the Newmeyer building on North Washington Street, and many others. It is assumed that the Sentmans built this home shortly after buying the land in 1913.

In 1917, the Sentmans additionally bought the two adjoining lots, 288 and 289, from George Hopper after the death of Peter Lesley Hopper. Just one year later, when George Hopper was in court to settle his father’s estate debts, the Sentmans successfully secured a fifth adjoining lot, #292. Harry and Martha Sentman had one son, Henry Snow Sentman (1912-1970) who grew up here, became a well-known horticulturalist, and served as a judge at national flower shows. Not surprisingly the Sentmans’ large gardens became known for their prolific azaleas and abundant large trees. Henry S. Sentman married Mary H. Sentman and they made their home here also. Their daughter, Elizabeth Ann Sentman (1938-1999), also grew up here.

After the 1935 death of Harry W. Sentman, Martha added her son, Henry S. Sentman, to the deed for the five-lot property. At the time of the 1940 Census Martha Sentman was living here, along with her father-in-law, Norman M. Sentman (who lived five more years), Harry and Martha’s son Henry and his wife Mary, and their daughter Elizabeth. Mary was active in local organizations and in 1961 was appointed as the Chairperson of the Havre de Grace Independence Day Celebrations, the first female to hold that position.

After the February 1968 death of Martha “Mattie” Sentman, her son, Henry, titled the five-lot property in his and his wife’s name. Henry, however, died just two years later which left Mary Sentman the sole owner. Mary sold the property in March 1972 to Allen J. and Dolores Fair, real estate investors, ending its almost 60-year Sentman ownership. The Fairs divided the large property and in July 1972 sold this home and only its land fronting on Ontario Street to Ovel Bert Richardson and Clarisse M. Richardson. (Victoria Brown Swanson remembers that it “tore me up as a kid” that the huge old trees at the rear of the house were cut down and an apartment building constructed there on Linden Lane—the building can be seen in one of the photographs here.) This home and “part of Lots 290, 291, and 292” was then owned for a short time by Edward C. “Ned” Wilson III (1947-2011) and Judith B. Wilson before they built a home on Ned’s parents’ farm in Darlington. They sold this home in 1977 to state Senator Arthur H. Helton, Jr. and Priscilla Jane Helton.

In December 1978 the Heltons opened their home to the Havre de Grace 1978 Candlelight Tour. The alcove sitting room lent itself to a formal arrangement including a Chippendale sofa flanked by candlestick tables, a tilt-top pie-crust table from New England, and matching wing chairs accented by a Kerman rug. Two “Senator chairs” and a “Governor Winthrop desk” were highlights of the living room. Two picture windows filled opposite walls of the large dining room. The large eat-in kitchen with work island and pot rack was a cheerful place and three bedrooms and a den comprised the second floor. Senator Helton has remained active in Harford County politics for many years.

In 1989, Senator Helton and his wife, Ann Helton, sold the property to Walter H. Gentz, Jr. and Patricia M. Gentz. They also opened this home to an Annual Candlelight Tour—this one in 1993. The brochure stated that kitchen utensils on the wall and a chicken crate for a coffee table were unusual accents in the front parlor. Old toys, a doll house and a miniature feed store were in the second living room. Of special interest in the dining room were a Hoosier cabinet and a claw-footed oak dining table. The kitchen had blue décor and contained an old cook stove and a collection of tins. Windows in the breakfast area overlooked a woodsy garden that Patricia Gentz had been carefully cultivating. In addition, a spinning wheel and old quilts were displayed in a guest room upstairs.

Nine years after buying the home containing parts of three lots, Walter and Patricia Gentz sold it to Robert S. Jones and Cynthia Jones. In 2010 they deeded the home to Robert S. Jones individually. In 2015, however, bank trustees put the property up for sale at public auction. In one of the unusual twists of property investment and ownership in a small town, this historic property was purchased again by Allen J. Fair, who had first bought it 44 years earlier. However, because this was business and not nostalgia, within three months Allen sold it to Brian Bangs of B & B Properties, LLC (later Bangs Properties, LLC). The Bangs family own and manage several properties in Havre de Grace.

In November 2019 Bangs Properties sold this house with its fenced yard and pool to Ashley Griffith and Lee Schafer. They now make their home here and are learning about the history of the home and its owners.

County Records
Built 1930. 2246 sq ft, 2 stories with basement, 1.5 baths, 8500 sq ft lot.