In 1891 James and Elizabeth Worthington sold this property to Robert K. and Laura Vanneman, the Vannemans being prominent citizens and investors. They sold the home the same year to Henry C. Foster (1849-1916) who had bought two other homes on the street but probably didn’t live in any of them. When Henry Foster died in 1916, he bequeathed this Victorian property to one of his sons, Arthur C. Foster. (He left 512 South Washington Street to his other son, William C. Foster.) Arthur and his wife, Alexina, however, sold it that same year to brother William Foster (1892-1942). Five years later William married Anna M. Foster and added her name to the deed in 1921.

After William Foster’s death in 1942, Anna continued to own this house but in 1954 she sold it to John J. Mike and Kathryn E. “Kay” Mike. John Mike was of Lebanese descent and moved here from Pennsylvania to work in the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Kay Mike was involved in several local activities, was Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, and was elected twice to the City Council during the 1980s. Charlie Mike, their son, who later served a major role for several years on the Havre de Grace Independence Celebration Commission, has fond memories of this house. He said, “The neatest part of the house was the sunporch on the Lewis side of the house. It ran the length of the house and was all encased in windows. That was the room. When the sun came in, it was just beautiful.”

The house was known in the area for its spectacular Japanese Cherry Blossom tree in their back garden about which Charlie likes to tell of the day that Jacqueline Kennedy admired it. President Jack Kennedy was doing some campaign stops in 1963 and someone in the group became very ill en route from Philadelphia so they stopped at Harford Memorial Hospital. Charlie says their house was right behind the Emergency Room and Jackie and a couple of aides took a short walk. It happened that Kay Mike was hanging up some laundry right then and Jackie, seeing the beautiful tree, called to her asking if they could look at it. Kay invited them in and they spent a few minutes chatting about the tree. Sadly, of course, both the tree and the house that Charlie loved are now gone.

John and Kay Mike, like several other neighbors, sold the house to the Harford Memorial Hospital in 1981. Their contract, like only a couple of others, allowed them to remain in the house rent free for 24 months from the date of the deed. It is not known whether they used that option.