This was the home of Edgar M. “Ed” Geathers (1883-1971) and Lula E. Geathers (1891-1966), which was built by Ed’s father, Charles M. Geathers (1842-1912). Charles had begun a scrap iron and metal salvage business on Young Street in 1885, where he bought and sold scrap iron and metal, rags, hides and fur, which he left to his son, Ed, when he died. The large “junk yard” is shown on Young Street on both the 1910 and 1930 Sanborn Insurance Maps.

It’s said that Ed celebrated his inheritance by “going uptown and buying a 75-cent necktie.” Ed was Chancelor Commander of the Harford Lodge #54 of the Order of Knights of Pythias in 1909, which was housed on Stokes Street at that time. Neighbor Marsha Ann Tarbert says that Ed and Lula Geathers were good friends with her grandparents and that Ed’s father, Charles, built this house for Ed and Lula as a wedding present around 1910. She heard that Lula was somewhat reluctant to marry Ed unless they had an acceptable house to live in. Charles Geathers built the house with the help of John Patterson, a skilled carpenter from Cecil County, who had previously built 715 South Washington Street.

It seems that Ed was quite the character and many locals have stories about him—he is said to have been very wealthy but always “looked homeless.” John P. Correri, Jr. says, “He was a frequent customer at Correri’s market. That gentleman was one of Havre de Grace’s best characters.” In 1925, Ed Geathers unsuccessfully ran for City Council, the results of which he also unsuccessfully contested. Connie Vancheri’s story was that “Ed could write a check on a brown paper bag and the bank would cash it for him.” And William Pyle says that during the Depression, “Ed kept Citizens Bank afloat.” Marsha Tarbert added that “Ed and his father bailed out the city with money when either the water system or sewage system broke.” Ed used to drive an old Model T around town until 1951 when he bought a shiny black Chevy and drove around with a cigar hanging from his mouth. And he had a talking parrot in the salvage yard that he called “Barney.” Neighbor Alton McDonald says that “Ed was superstitious and he would give a silver dollar to the first person he saw in the New Year.” In 1960 Ed Geathers sold a portion of his junk yard on Young Street to Kalman Riegelhaupt (1934-2012), who is remembered for wobbling around town on his bicycle.

After the death of Edgar Geathers in 1971, his estate sold this house to James “Jimmie” M. McMillan and Patricia Wilson McMillan. Jimmie had a great collection of old Havre de Grace photos. Having been married for 48 years, Patricia McMillan died in 2010 and Jimmie in 2017. Jimmie McMillan was a member of the Duck Decoy Museum Board of Directors for several years and in 1991 he owned a small shop at 465 Franklin Street called “The Duck Stops Here,” where he sold anything related to ducks and decoys. The McMillans lived in this house for about 45 years.

The home was sold to Liesl M. Gercke in 2018 who has been working with Pace Putland on many aspects of renovating the home and landscaping the large lot while adding a baby to their family in March 2020. Pace is the son of Bill Putland of LGMD Properties in Havre de Grace.

County Records
Built 1940. 1994 sq ft, 1 bath, 2 stories with basement, 12,000 sq ft lot.