The land on which this handsome Second Empire house was built had still been owned by the late Mark Pringle (1761-1819) when it was sold by Court Trustee John Stump in 1839 to Robert McCullough (1786-1840), a War of 1812 veteran. Pringle was a wealthy Baltimore merchant who built the mansion “Bloomsbury” just west of the city to which locals fled for refuge when the British were burning the town in May 1813.

John B. and Eliza Jane Yarnell bought a one-half interest in Lots 85 and 86 in 1839 from Robert McCullough, the latter Lot 86 being on the northeast corner of Otsego and North Adams Streets and Lot 85 adjoining it. In 1843, this same one-half interest was purchased by George Bartol (1779-1848), who most likely built this house on Lot 86. Following the death of Robert McCullough, his heirs George S. and Mary McCullough, and John G. McCullough of Baltimore, sold this property to George Bartol’s heirs, Nathaniel B. Bartol (1809-1866), Robert Bartol, James L. Bartol (1813-1887), and Mary Bartol Hitchcock (1816-1898), wife of Charles B. Hitchcock in 1850.

Five years later, the Bartol brothers sold their interest in this property to their sister, Mary Bartol Hitchcock who appears to have lived here with Charles and her family for almost 30 years. Charles served for several years as the Toll Collector on the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal until Carville Hynson Maslin (1832-1906) became the Canal’s Lock Tender in 1865. Because it is known that additions were made to this home in the 1870s-1880s in the vernacular Second Empire style, including the mansard roof and porches, it appears that they were made by Mary and Charles Hitchcock. Having enlarged the home, Mary sold this property in 1884 to Caroline E. Seneca (1846-1918), the wife of Robert Seneca (1946-1931). ), who are thought to have also made a front addition. Robert Seneca’s prominence sprang from an extensive manufacturing complex, the Seneca Cannery, that he and his brother, Stephen Seneca, operated at the rail ferry dock at the foot of Pennington Avenue. And shortly after purchasing this property, Robert served as Mayor from 1889 to 1891; he also was a delegate to the Maryland General Assembly in 1896 while living here. Not surprisingly, the home became known as the “Bob Seneca House.”

Just after Caroline Seneca’s death, an ownership dispute between Harry C. Lawder and Robert Seneca was resolved when the court appointed trustees to sell the property. The new owners in 1919 were Samuel Lindsey Forsythe (1867-1927) and Martha Jane Forsythe (sometimes spelled Forsyth) who owned it for the next 28 years. At that time the horse races at The Graw racetrack drew hundreds of people to the city each year, gambling was commonplace, liquor was available during Prohibition, and brothels were lucrative. While the brothels were never fully legal, the operations were said to have been financed by many of the wealthy and prominent people in town. Under the Forsythes, this large home began doing business as a house of prostitution in 1919 as “The Red Onion,” reportedly with a sign outside saying “$2 and $4,” depending on the body type of the women. Others referred to the building as the “House of Pleasure.” Another such house during The Graw days was the “Pink Elephant,” a large single house on the Old Post Road—it was the last house on the right-hand side when leaving town before reaching the old “Black Bridge” (since replaced). It was said to be owned by “Toddie” Todd who had to give up the business not only because The Graw had closed down, but because he needed to relocate to Arizona for his health. That building was demolished. And William R. Pyle remembers another one further east of the Pink Elephant near the Casa Mia Inn called “Jumbo’s” (both gone).

It’s said that the notorious Al Capone contracted syphilis during one of his visits to the Red Onion. He went to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore in 1939 for treatment and was so grateful for the care he received that he had two weeping cherry trees planted there. In spite of the treatment, he succumbed to the disease in 1947 in Miami.

Martha Forsythe, widowed in 1927, sold the building in 1947 to Hurley H. Reedy of Cecil County who was married to his third wife, Daisy O. Reedy. Reedy also owned other properties nearby on Otsego Street, one of which was known as “The White Onion” (571 Otsego Street) whose business was the same as that of The Red Onion. Hurley has been described as an interesting guy that had a pet ground hog that he carried around like a doll. He used to bring it into the nearby Parson’s Store and people fed it marshmallows and peanuts. His favorite hobby was rattlesnake hunting—he had a mounted one that was coiled to strike.

Hurley Reedy died in 1964, and in his Will he devised his properties to various heirs, including this one to his son Almer Reedy with his previous wife, Norma H. Reedy. After litigation about the will, Almer received a one-half interest in this property and Daisy Reedy received the other one-half interest. Both of the Reedys sold their interests in this property in 1971 to Edgel Robert Kitzmiller and his wife, Edna Mae Kitzmiller of Cecil County, who had two sons. In the mid-1970s, this became a steadily deteriorating multiple-partitioned rooming house, and a magnet for crime. About 20 years later, the Kitzmillers sold this property to Charles T. and Virginia L. Johnson, before the Kitzmillers moved to New Mexico.

In 2005, new owners of this property were Timothy A. Perry and Stephen Cook (of Rising Sun) each of whom held a one-half interest. Two years later they both sold their interests to the Red Onion, LLC. The Red Onion partners, both of whom lived nearby, were spurred by a strong desire to improve the community. By January 2009 the Red Onion had completed a major renovation of the building, inside and out, created five apartments, some with side porches, exposed brick walls, hardwood floors, and preserved original features such as pocket doors.

In early 2009, The Red Onion partners were presented with a 2009 Preservation Project Award by the Harford County Historic Preservation Commission for their work on this building. In May 2020, the Red Onion LLC sold this property to M-Cubed Realty LLC, of Cochransville, Pennsylvania, who continue to rent the apartments.

County Records
Built 1843. 3999 sq ft, apartments, detached garage, 5160 sq ft lot.