Some locals believe that Captain John Milhoof (1765-1825), a prominent citizen of Havre de Grace and ship captain prior to the War of 1812, may have lived here before neighboring houses were built. That would put its construction date much earlier than 1856. John Milhoof is also known as one of the five town commissioners elected in January 1812. The kitchen of the original home had a cooking fireplace with raised hearth in the basement, the remains of which can be seen. In the attic, there are hand-hewn beams, charred and supported by two-by-fours. Marks of cross beams are visible in the charred beams that give evidence of a fire a long time ago.

On the 1858 Herrick Map of Harford County, the name “Day” appears on this site. County Records show a bond between Jacob Hoke, Israel Day and Grafton Day (1829-1895) in 1856 to pay $4.00 yearly ground rent on this property. Jacob Hoke is also known for having built the Hoke House in the 1830s at 213 South Union Avenue. Grafton Day, a veteran duck gunner and excellent marksman, was killed by a train in 1895 while working for the Pennsylvania, Wilmington, & Baltimore Railroad, leaving his wife, Sarah, and several grown children.

One of the early owners of this house was Amos Spencer (1816-1899) who married Rose Ann Bouis (1813-1883) and had three children, one of whom was John N. Spencer (1845-1916). They lived in the home from about 1865 to 1917, when it was bought at a Sheriff’s sale by Henry Amos Osborn, a local canning magnate. Ownership by Henry Osborn and Frances, his wife, is particularly notable because in 1875, the couple had bought 220 acres of the sprawling Blenheim estate (just west of Havre de Grace) and still lived there when they purchased this Market Street house. In 1875, Osborn had Bel Air master builder, Jacob Bull, design and construct the huge frame Victorian main house in Blenheim. Henry Amos Osborn owned Blenheim from 1875 to 1925.

The Osborns had a son, Harry A. Osborn, Jr., who became an attorney and a member of the state legislature, but died unexpectedly at the age of 37 in 1919. When Henry Amos Osborn died six years later in 1925, Blenheim passed to his wife, Frances, then to one of their daughters, Elizabeth F. Osborn, and then to their second daughter, Inez H. Osborn. Born in 1880, Inez owned Blenheim until her death in 1977, when it passed to Charles Osborn III. The parallel of Osborn ownership of Blenheim and this house is that the Osborns owned Blenheim from 1875 through 1977 while they also owned this house from 1917 to 1973 when Inez H. Osborn sold it. One could speculate that they needed the Market Street house as their in-town residence.

Inez Osborn sold this federal-style home in 1973 to Jane Stevenson Jacksteit (1917-2007) and her husband, Rev. Berthold Jacksteit (1910-2001). They purchased this when he retired after 40 years of ministry and they had raised five daughters. The Jacksteits were the first family in the block to restore their house. Jane is notable particularly as a founding member of the Friends of the Concord Point Lighthouse in 1979 and was active in many other volunteer groups. Local lore is that when Jane heard that the derelict Lighthouse, in sight of her house, might be demolished she formed a Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse group with Anna Long and Arnie Stackhouse; together they saved and restored the Lighthouse. The Friends group continues to maintain the Lighthouse and the Lighthouse Keepers House today.

In 1979, the Jacksteits opened their home to the Annual Candlelight Tour. They had restored this 2.5-story framed federal dwelling over the previous few years. The house entry was centered between the living room to the left and the dining room and recessed sitting area to the right. A Virginia mantle with distinctive simplicity was over the fireplace which bridged the living room and kitchen. One upstairs room was arranged solely for visiting grandchildren. A well-tended yard and garden stretched to the rear.

The estate of Jane Jacksteit sold this home in 2008 to Rev. Dr. William B. Allen and his wife, Carol Allen, who moved to Havre de Grace from Michigan. Dr. Allen has served in many leadership roles including being appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, which he served until 1992. In 2013, Dr. Allen was appointed to the Board of Directors of the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and he also serves as Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church in Havre de Grace. In mid-2021, Carol Allen began a new chapter of her professional life as the Executive Director of the Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse, which she can actually see from this home.

The Allens kindly opened their home to the 49th Annual Candlelight Tour of Havre de Grace in December 2021. Visitors were able to view the results of various renovations achieved by the Jacksteits and the Allens without sacrificing the cosiness of this historic home that is decorated in period furniture.

County Records
Built 1900. 2,254 sq ft, 2.5 stories with basement, 3 baths, and a 12,000 sq ft lot.