In the early 1900s there were two adjoining sections to this two-lot property, known as the Farmers’ Hotel, which was remodeled and refurnished in 1914 by its owners, John T. Whalen (1860-1937) and Mary R. Whalen (1868-1919). And in 1898, John T. Whalen had been issued a liquor license for the hotel. After the death of Mary in 1919 John continued to own it but in 1936 he added the name of Sophie M. Sitzler (1870-1960) to the deed. In 1943, the widowed Sophie sold the property to Omer L. Carson and P. Arnold Pfaffenbach, two local attorneys who were also in the real estate business.

Two years later, in 1945, the attorneys sold the property to William T. Pyle (1902-1977) and Virginia M. Pyle (1913-1970) and their family of one son and three daughters. The family lived in the #518 southern section and it appears that Sam Milio continued to run the Farmers Hotel in #520. William and Virginia’s son, William R. “Billy” Pyle remembers that there was a pool table and a bar in the front of the hotel and a card room in the back. However, it was reported in the News Journal of Wilmington of 1944 that the Harford County Liquor Board refused to grant a license for the sale of wine and beer to Sam Milio, whose license had been suspended two years beforehand. Perhaps due to the lack of the license, the hotel was no longer successful so Sam Milio rented the upstairs as two apartments.

Billy says he later learned to play pool in #520 and became friends with “Tommy” and “Bobby” Hitchcock who lived in the upstairs apartments. The brothers moved on with their lives and later distinguished themselves as Marines in Vietnam but, sadly, Sergeant Raymond Robert Hitchcock, Jr. (1941-1968) was killed outside Con Thien when an artillery round hit him and others. He left behind a widow, daughter, and one-year-old son, Rob Hitchcock. “Bobby” (or Ray to some) is listed on the Wall of Faces of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where fellow marine, Steve Haisley, who was seriously wounded in the same incident as Bobby, remembers him on every anniversary of his death.

William T. Pyle (Billy’s Dad) died intestate in 1977 so the property became owned by his four children. Three years later, they sold the northern portion of the property (#520) to Virgie M. Owens and John L. King. It was demolished and is now part of a group of condominiums constructed by Paul and Kathleen Guzzo at North Stokes Street and the 600 block of Otsego Street.

The Pyle family continued to own 518 North Stokes Street until 2000 when they sold it to Mark and Cynthia Forton. Their son, Shawn Forton, is an acclaimed and accomplished local artist with a studio on North Washington Street and some historical murals on walls in town.

County Records
Built 1930. 1728 sq ft, 2 stories no basement, 1 bath, 2754 sq ft lot.