The land on which this house was later built was owned by John Franciscus in the 1890s. In 1899, the Collector of Taxes for Havre de Grace sold the land because Franciscus had failed to pay taxes for the three years, 1895-1897. The buyer was John N. Spencer, a wealthy citizen who had just built the Spencer-Silver Mansion on South Union Avenue.

John Spencer and his wife, Margaret, sold this lot in 1906 to Harrison Swift (1841-1909) who was a well-known tanner in the city. Unfortunately, Harrison died just three years later, leaving a widow, three daughters and two sons. Agnes Obrick Swift (1844-1943) held this lot (and others) left by her husband for another ten years before selling it to Harry O. Bailey (1891-1940) and his wife, Annie B. Bailey, in 1919. It is believed that the Baileys built this home shortly after buying the lot.

Harry Bailey preceded his wife in death and Annie continued to own the house through her death in 1976. Her personal representative sold the house at a 1977 public sale and the lowest bidders were Caroll Edwin Norris and Laurie Owen Norris, his wife. By 1984, Laurie had changed her name to Laurie O. Thoner and is assumed to have married Thomas Thoner. Caroll E. Norris and Laurie Thoner sold this home to Robert Norman and Trula Virginia Baker in 1984.

The next owners were Thomas and Rebecca Slentz who owned the home for eight years followed by Erin Miller who sold it three years later when she got married and became Erin Sniatecki. And Patricia and Art Rae were here for five years before selling it to Winifred “Wini” Roche in 2003. Wini Roche headed a tourism program for Havre de Grace when she first lived in this house and then became tourism and marketing manager for the Harford County Government. She now heads Roche & Associates, a destination marketing consulting group.

While Wini lived here, she also got married and together they undertook a major renovation of this home. That included creating a custom kitchen, expanding the bathrooms, and establishing a “club house” for her son in the rear yard, all while saving the original slate roof and much of the original woodwork. In 2019, Wini and her husband, Mark Hemelt, sold this home to Susan Knauss, a new Havre de Grace resident who enjoys walking and running along the river and frequently shares her artwork on Facebook.

County Records
Built 1935. 1776 sq ft, 2.5 stories, no basement, 2.5 baths, 3000 sq ft lot.