This triangular property was formerly owned by Joshua Green (1761-1840) who lived nearby. It was near the shipyards, particularly MacGowans’ at the old ferry dock of the railroad. A building here was formerly used by Lyttleton Green (1817-1897 and Joshua’s son) as a Ship Chandlery Shop. In the distribution of Joshua Green’s estate in 1874, this property went to Elizabeth Green Frieze (Joshua’s daughter) who was married to Colonel J. Thompson Frieze (1826-1898). Some people who knew this building describe it as having a “log cabin” in the middle of it and suggest that the building was constructed around the cabin.

Their son, Willie S. Frieze and his wife, Virginia, inherited this building and sold it in 1903 to Sylvester Penning (1840-1929) and his wife, Alice. Penning was an attorney for the City Building and Loan Association and most likely made it a rental property. They sold it to Joseph H. and Olivia G. Durbin in 1918. The Durbins lived here for several years and raised their daughter and granddaughter here, most likely on the second floor.

It is known that the ground floor of this building was used as a tavern and the Durbins are said to have run “Zisk’s Club 100” here. The 1940 Census shows that Joseph Durbin (born 1880) lived here with Olivia (born 1905) along with their daughter, Ernestine Durbin (born 1922), and their granddaughter, Cynthia Justina Durbin (born 1939). However, St. James United Cemetery records and gravestone show that Olivia was born in 1875 rather than 1905, which is assumed to be correct.

Olivia Durbin died in 1951, and 10 years later Joseph Durbin sold this to Cornelius and Helen Smith, who were real estate investors. They lived at 300 North Union Avenue and named this property as “Smith’s Tavern,” with rental rooms above it. It also operated as Bob’s Bar & Grille in the late 1970s. The Smiths sold this to Norris O. Harris (1922-1984) in 1980. He renamed this tavern as the “Swan’s Inn.” In 1984, when Norris Harris died, he bequeathed the property to his son, Joseph R. Harris (along with 106-108 St. John Street).

This property and the existing Swan’s Inn building were sold by Joseph Harris in 1992 to Nick G. Conits and Spiro G. Conits. The building had a brick façade and was said to have “a house structure rising out of the middle of it,” in keeping with an earlier description that the tavern building was constructed around a log cabin. After some limited local interest in saving it, the building was demolished a couple of years later and is now an open lot. The lot is now owned by 106 St Johns Street, LLC.

County Records
7142 sq ft empty lot.