In 1865 the land on which this elegant, brick, Second Empire style duplex was later built was owned by Robert L. Morgan (1819-1878) and Elizabeth Morgan who sold it that same year to Elizabeth Green. Therefore, the duplex could have been built as long ago as 1865. The building appears to have been sold in 1875 by William Augustine Green to Edward Larkin so it likely was built between 1865 and 1875.

The Second Empire style can be traced to France, specifically to the reign of Napoleon III, 1852-1870, and had a major impact on building design. The style was meant to exude character and a sense of permanence and residences were generally built for the affluent homeowner. One typical element of the style is the mansard roof, which offers the added space of a full floor instead of just an attic. Second Empire homes often have a porch, offering protection from weather, and usually have steps to the door, as can be seen with these homes.

Ownership of both sides of this property follows closely the path of ownership of the nearby Aveilhe-Goldsborough House at 300 North Union Avenue, although the latter house is older and survived the War of 1812’s near destruction of the city. Similar names appearing in deeds for both houses include Goldsborough, Morgan, Green, Kenly, Larkin, and Smith. Name similarities with those of 300 North Union Avenue end in 1945.

Both sides of this duplex were owned by the same people from the purchase of the land until 1959. One owner was Dr. Richard H. Smith (1848-1926) who was prominent in the city for several associations, as President of the Columbian Building Association for many years, on the Board of the Havre de Grace Hospital, and also for serving on the City Council in 1918. After the death of Dr. Smith, ownership went to his widow, Alice H. Smith, who in 1933 devised it to their daughter, Helen T. Smith.

Helen Smith sold the building in 1943 to C. Clifford Sharp and his wife, Annie Seneca Sharp (1898-1991), the latter being a niece of Stephen Seneca. While it is not known whether previous owners used the duplex as investment property, it is known that Clifford and Annie Sharp lived there during the WWII years. She described their home as a “rooming house” in her Harford County Living Treasures interview of 1981. She related that she was very involved with the USO where she met many young men who were very homesick so she invited them to stay at their home on weekends and she tried to make them feel at home. After the Bainbridge Naval Training Center closed, she stayed in touch with many of them. The Sharps sold the duplex in 1959 to Wray R. Mott. He was the last person to have owned both sides of this duplex

#515: In 1973, Wray Mott sold the #515 side of the double house to two couples in the McCurry family. Five years later, they sold it to Cornelius and Helen Smith in 1979. They were real estate agents who at that time were living at the nearby 300 North Union Avenue. The property changed hands a few more times until 2017 when Timothy L. “Tim” Sturgill, Jr. and Staci Carpenter bought the house and made it their home. They both were firefighters for the Susquehanna Hose Company. One year later, however, the property was conveyed to Timothy Sturgill’s name only. In May 2020 Tim Sturgill sold this half of the double house to Carol Keasler, who is a high school math teacher for Harford County Public Schools.

#517: In 1979, Wray Mott sold this side of the duplex to Kenneth Silver Unruh and his wife, Dorothy. Other owners later were William and Nellie Cullum, Harold and Mary Henson, and James T. Wollon, Sr. and his wife, Carolyn. Their son, James T. Wollon, Jr. was a well-known architectural historian who directed the restoration of the Concord Point Lighthouse for the Friends of Concord Point in 1979.

In 1987 Jacqueline “Jackie” Martin, who later married John "Martin" Hoover, purchased this property. Martin Hoover, a Coast Guard veteran was a member of the Havre de Grace Yacht Club and, along with his wife, was a volunteer for many local organizations. He died in 2015 and Jackie Hoover continued to own the #517 house until her death in 2020. This home appeared vacant for several months and was sold at public auction in the fall of 2021 to Dennis L. Miller of Pennsylvania. He appears to have renovated this home and sold it in April 2022 to Christine Jacobsen.

County Records
#515: Built 1880. 1676 sq ft, 1.5 baths, 2.5 stories, detached garage, brick, 1500 sq ft lot. #517: Built 1880. 1676 sq ft, 1 bath, 2.5 stories with basement, brick, 1380 sq ft lot.