This property at the southwest corner of Franklin Street and Centennial Lane was owned by Thomas W. Ricketts (1858-1938) and his wife Oneda in 1888. Thomas worked for many years as a “car inspector” for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Perryville. Thomas and Oneda sold this in 1888 to Thomas Davis who two years before dying in 1890 deeded this to his wife, Catherine Bayard Davis (1820-1910). Catherine sold it in 1906 to Henry Rauscher (1864-1940), whose parents Frederick and Rosa Rauscher owned a home at 656 Franklin Street.

Unfortunately, the “built dates” in Harford County records cannot be relied on for Havre de Grace properties so it is not known whether this building was constructed earlier or whether Henry Rauscher built it in 1906 specifically as his bakery and store with an apartment above it. Henry at that time was a successful baker because he had just built a beautiful home at 414 Bourbon Street, where they lived for many more years, while running the bakery and confectionery store here. Henry was the only manufacturer of “Bread and Other Bakery Products” in Havre de Grace listed in both the 1910 Report and the 1913 Annual Report of the MD Bureau of Statistics and Information. The 1930 Sanborn Insurance Map shows a Bakery in this building.

Henry was married to Annie Rauscher (1875-1960), with whom he had a son in 1910, J. Vernon Rauscher, who was a WWII veteran. Henry died in 1940 and his widow sold this property six years later to Vicy and Henry Shortridge. It’s not known how they used it but in 1947 the shop area was called Modern Beauty Salon, who advertised permanent waves, manicures, hair tinting, and facials.

This building had many owners between 1946 and 2007, when it was sold to Donna Ayres of Port Deposit. During those years it appears to have been an investment property and a “multi-family” residence. Some of the owners were Vicy and Henry Shortridge, Charles S. Mitchell, former Mayor Henry J. Loeblein and his wife, James and Carol Barnes, and more. Donna Ayres of Spirit Properties LLC, Port Deposit, continues to own this property, which appears to be in poor condition.

County Records
Built 1935. 3300 sq ft, multi-family residence, 2016 sq ft lot.