This house was probably built in two stages and is on land sold to John Henry O’Neill (1768-1838) by William B. Stokes in 1805. Born in Ireland, O’Neill came to the U.S. at the age of 18. He served in the military under General Henry Lee in quelling the Whiskey Insurrection of 1794 and in 1798 entered the Naval Service against the French. He then established a nail factory across the street from here where the employees made hand-wrought nails and spikes. He became best known, however, for his bravery in the early morning hours of May 3, 1813, when the British famously attacked the city at the “Potato Battery” near the present lighthouse. O’Neill and Philip Albert alone tried to protect the town from the British but both got injured and O’Neill captured before the city was ransacked and burned.

This home has been so altered over the years that the date of 1865 was used by the Maryland Historic Trust to best describe its era. The basement referenced above as possibly original has thick whitewashed stone walls located beneath the north front room and hall. The basement, measuring about 22 by 18 feet, matches the measurement of the original 1814 house. The sills resting on the stone foundation walls are massive beams joined securely by mortise and tenon construction.

The home has considerable historic significance to Havre de Grace, since the property was in the O'Neill family for about 158 years. John O’Neill owned the nail manufactory (since demolished) in town, which was located directly across the street from this home. When John O’Neill died, he bequeathed two lots on South Washington Street to his son, William O’Neill, this Lot 241 being one of them, and the other being his nail factory across the street. Upon William’s death, he conveyed this home to his own son, John William O’Neill (1845-1931). The latter, at his death, bequeathed this property in 1928 to The Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Maryland, the Vestry of St. John‘s Parish. The O’Neill family all were members of St. John’s Church.

In 1936, the Vestrymen of St. John’s sold this home to Jesse Smith, Jr. and Rosemma Smith who retained ownership until 1963. Jesse’s father, Jesse Smith, Sr. served as Mayor of Havre de Grace from 1957-1959. It was around 1938 that the Smiths added the two-story building with rental units behind the main house. The Smiths sold the home to Frank S. and Nellie E. Poist in 1963. Frank having died in 1970, attorneys for Nellie sold this home two years later to Grant A. and Elizabeth R. Lewis.

By 1976, this was the home of Dr. Lincoln Griswold and Jean B. Griswold who opened it to the 1976 Annual Candlelight Tour. Their styling of the house was eclectic. Queen Anne wingback chairs flanked the Georgian fireplace in the room on the right. Upstairs a bathroom in crisp green and white opened off the bedroom done in navy and green and accented by huge white lamps. A sitting room was opposite. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1967 at the age of 36, Jean Griswold understood the importance of needing support without losing independence, which led to her founding Griswold Home Care in 1982. In 2020, they have more than 200 locations in 30 states. In 1977 the Griswolds moved out of state and sold their home to Rev. Walter Agnor and Bettye Jane Agnor.

In 1981, the Agnors also opened their home to the Annual Candlelight Tour. Most notable during this tour was that the Agnors owned the first electrified light used at the Annapolis State House and had it hanging in the entrance hall.

From 1984 through 2001, this property was owned by Robert K. Goll, well known locally for owning Goll’s Bakery on North Washington Street. While living here, Robert Goll had a new home constructed on a lot adjacent and south of this property, to which the Golls moved upon its completion in 2001. They sold this O’Neill house at that time.

This property then had a couple of “limited liability companies” as owners before it was purchased in 2017 by Jeanette Pawlak and Edward Miller, who have made several improvements to the home, including a swimming pool in the rear, and make their home here.

County Records
Built 1865. 4080 sq ft, 2.5 stories, no basement, 4.5 baths, 12,000 sq ft lot, tenant house with 2 apartments.