In 1903 the land on the west side of South Washington Street between Lafayette and Giles Streets was sold by Peter Lesley Hopper (1856-1917) to Francis M. “Frank” Farr. Farr was a Civil War Confederate veteran who at that time was the owner of the Mint Hotel and restaurant on North Washington Street. In 1923, Farr sold this lot to W. Leroy McMaster (1898-1987) and his wife, Naomi Winkler McMaster, who built this house. Leroy was a WWI veteran and he and Naomi lived here through the raising of two daughters (Jean and Nancy) and then Naomi’s death in 1984. More than 60 years after creating this home, Leroy still owned it when he died. He had served as Havre de Grace Treasurer in the late 1920s and served in other roles for several local organizations.

Leroy McMaster’s Estate sold this home in 1987 to George C. and Alice Pensell and their daughter, Judith A. Pensell McGuirk. George and Alice were the parents of Gary Pensell who by the 1980s was the owner of The Tidewater Marina at the foot of Bourbon Street. Two years later, however, the George and Alice Pensell sold this home to Michael Newman and Kathleen Anne Brendle (1956-2003). They lived in the house for about 10 years before Michael deeded the home to Kathleen Brendle in 1990 in a marital agreement. It is assumed that Kathleen lived in this home until her early death in 2003.

Kathleen was the daughter of Dr. William K. “Bill” Brendle (1920-2010) and his wife, Evelyn Brendle (1926-2016). The Brendles had moved to Havre de Grace from Baltimore in 1953 when Dr. Brendle became Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Harford Memorial Hospital. He also was in private practice in Havre de Grace for more than 34 years. Dr. Bill was an enthusiastic duck hunter and one of his hobbies was carving duck decoys in the style of the local master carvers. He also was a long-standing volunteer for the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum. They had two other daughters, Elizabeth Brendle-Williams and Ruth Brendle Read of Maine.

From 2003 through 2011 this home was owned by Dr. Bill Brendle and his wife Evelyn, and since 2011 it has been owned by the Evelyn J. Brendle Trust. In 2016 this nicely maintained home received an award from the Havre de Grace Historic Preservation Commission. It continues to be owned in the name of the Brendle Trust.

County Records
Built 1926. 1320 sq ft, 1 bath, fireplace, 1.5 stories with basement, carport, 6600 sq ft lot.