One lot of this land was bought from George C. and Emma Stokes in 1869 by Oliver T. Bailey (1844-1910) with a second lot being bought by Bailey in 1874. It appears that between these two years, Oliver Bailey built this home on the first parcel, Lot 279. He was the brother of William Coleman Bailey (1847-1920), who later served on the City Council. Oliver Bailey died in 1910 and the property descended to his daughter and son who sold it in 1919 to Robert Franklin “Bob” McGaw III (1879-1958) and Mary E. Moore. Mary Moore was the mother-in-law of Bob McGaw who had married her daughter, Caroline “Carrie” Moore the previous year. Mary Moore’s husband (and Carrie’s father) was Captain William E. Moore who piloted the famous gunning scow, “The Reckless,” which was built in town and carried sport hunters from New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The Moores lived at 710 Market Street, now known as the Moore Family Homestead.

Bob McGaw was born on Spesutia Island (now part of the Aberdeen Proving Ground). He was the son of Robert F. and Lydia McGaw, who operated the ferry between Spesutia Island and the mainland. Bob McGaw’s father (Robert F. McGaw, Jr.) had been sworn in as a special Ducking Policeman in 1890. The first Ducking Police were named in an 1872 statute—each served a two-year term to uphold new laws passed by the Maryland General Assembly to regulate shooting on the Susquehanna Flats (a shallow area of about 36 square miles at the top of the Bay).

Bob began carving decoys in 1900 and served in the Maryland National Guard from 1909 to 1911, after which he worked on the Pennsylvania Railroad. While working on the Railroad, Bob carved decoys for his own use as well as for other hunters by hand chopping the bodies with a hatchet and individually carving the heads. When the hunting season was over he also carved miniatures. What many don’t know is that Bob also served as one of the first three mail carriers in Havre de Grace when mail service began in January 1916.

After this property became the home of Bob and Carrie McGaw in 1919, Bob built two decoy workshops at the rear of the lot facing Girard Street. His property stretched west along Girard Street to Lodge Alley [Lane]. One structure, used for storing blocks and finished decoys was referred to by Bob as “The Boar’s Nest.” The other decoy shop, heated by a pot-bellied stove, was used for his production of full size and miniature decoys. His decoys were also displayed in New York’s Abercrombie and Fitch’s famous Log Cabin Sportsman Center. The July 1938 National Geographic magazine issue was about the Chesapeake Bay and depicted a picture of McGaw working on a decoy. He was again honored in 1985, when the U.S. Postal Service issued a plate block of 4 decoy stamps in its series highlighting American folk art which featured a 1929 McGaw Canvasback Duck.

When Bob McGaw died in 1958 he left this property to his wife, Carrie. She lived just a few more years and left it to Robert B. and Geraldine V. Johnson in her Will, which was probated in 1964. The Johnsons sold the property to Samuelson Construction Co. Inc in 1964, who sold portions of the land to Dr. William K. and Evelyn Brendle and Robert and Barbara Wilson, and the home to Dr. John D. and Soo E. Yun.

In February 1972, Dr. John and Soo Yun sold this home to William P. Hill, Jr. (the director of the local Citizens Nursing Home). It was just four months later when the devastating Hurricane Agnes caused chaos in Havre de Grace, during which Citizens Nursing Home had to be evacuated. William Hill recovered and continued his work of restoring this historic home, after which he opened it to the city’s very first Annual Candlelight Tour in 1973. From its black painted exterior, to the living room with its fine exposed beams and two-way fireplace (uncovered by William Hill), he created an eclectic décor. Blocks of black and white tile covered the floor of the foyer and the home was accessorized with Persian rugs, chandeliers, and a grandfather’s clock crafted by a local cabinet maker.

By the time of the MIHP survey in December 1977, this property was owned by Drs. William and Olga Gatewood. The Gatewoods ran Radiology Associates in the city and Dr. Olga Gatewood was on the Board of Harford Memorial Hospital. After 20 years of ownership, Dr. William Gatewood died in 1997 and his widow sold the property to Mary Lynn Snyder, who is a local realtor. Mary Lynn Snyder in 1998 divided the property and sold two parcels facing Girard Street with Lodge Lane to the west. Two large new houses were built there later as 407 and 409 Girard Street.

This home on the southwest corner of Girard and South Washington Streets, with about a quarter acre of land, was bought by John and Leta Marie Sheaffer in 1998. Leta had moved with her family to Havre de Grace in 1952 when her father, James Smith, became regional manager for the local Telephone Company. Leta herself retired from the Telephone Company after working for them for 34 years. She and John Sheaffer, former high school sweethearts, had reunited and married in 1992.

The Sheaffers repainted this home in more historic tones than before and opened it to the 1999 Annual Candlelight Tour. The living room had a fireplace with marble surround while in the dining room the fireplace also opened through to the kitchen. A multi-windowed breakfast room adjoined the kitchen and pine floors were throughout the house. In the upstairs bathroom, the claw foot tub had been relocated onto a raised platform in an alcove. The master bedroom was enlarged by the Sheaffers to contain a spacious closet with mirrored doors and they built a new deck off this room. This property received an award from the Havre de Grace Historic Preservation Commission in 2004.

In February 2019, Leta Sheaffer died after long-term illnesses; John continued living here. Later in 2019, John Sheaffer subdivided the land belonging to this house and sold part of it (comprising 5,705 square feet) just north of the house facing South Washington Street to Frank Sanchez and Eleonora de Parolis who own the adjoining property at 407 Girard Street. The address of this new parcel is 320 South Washington Street.

John E. Sheaffer sold this well-maintained property in January 2022 to Sarah Schmidt and Jesse Kosior who relocated to Havre de Grace from New Jersey.

County Records
Built 1865. 2,360 sq ft, 2 baths, 2 stories, no basement, 4,695 sq ft lot.