A saltbox-style house here was the first Pennington Funeral Home, begun by William Canby Pennington (1797-1851), whose wife was Eliza. It had the mailing address of 522 Pennington Avenue at that time. It started as a cabinet-making shop in 1800 and in 1817 he made it an undertaking parlor as well at the corner of Freedom Lane and St. Clair Street (Pennington Avenue). It fronted 100 ft on St. Clair Street (Pennington Avenue) and 60 feet on the west side of a 20-foot Freedom Alley.

Upon William C. Pennington’s death in 1851, his son, Joseph A. Pennington (1828-1895), who had gone west during the Gold Rush era, returned to Havre de Grace and took over the business. And when Eliza, his mother, died in 1862, she devised this property to him. Later, when two of Joseph’s sons, Robert R. Pennington (1867-1949) and George T. Pennington (1871-1947) joined him they named it J.A. Pennington & Sons. George Pennington played for the local baseball club. In 1890, the business had two hearses and a “dead wagon.”

In 1894 George T. Pennington purchased the business from his father and brothers. A photo shows the Pennington hearse, which was the first motorized hearse used in Maryland. In 1913 Albert H. Wood bought this house from George T. and Mary Pennington. That was also the year that the Pennington family moved their funeral business to 225 South Washington Street.

George T. Pennington served as Mayor from 1923-1939 and it was for George T. Pennington that St. Clair Street was renamed as Pennington Avenue in 1961. In August 1976 the original Pennington Funeral Home building was still standing here, but as can be seen from the MIHP HA-821 comments, it was “abandoned” and no member of the family wanted to live in the area. It was subsequently demolished.

In 2004, two adjoining townhouses were constructed on this Pennington House lot by Otter Point Group Properties, LLC, that are rental properties. Their mailing address is 550-552 Pennington Avenue.

County Records
Built 2004, each has 1724 sq ft, 2 stories no basement, 2 baths, garage, 3000 sq ft lot.