7565 Main Street

Research is ongoing to confirm the historical use of this property. If you see any errors or have additional information, please contact the Museum through the methods at the bottom of the page

​Updated with SDAT and Deed records June 2026

Confirmed Use as of June 9, 2026:​

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c. 1924: The "Hood Building" is built by John Edwin Hood, with four separate businesses on the main floor and apartments above. (see above 1924 Sanborn map and "Sykesville Past and Present" Linda Greenberg, 2012) Hood ran a bus line across the street until 1922 (see 7566 Main Street).

1926: slightly more than four acres of property across six lots (of an original nine lots), including this lot, convey from the William Melville and wife to J. Edwin Hood and Maude Grant Hood for better use of the Hood building which formerly were a part of the larger Town House property at 7547 Main Street (Land Records of Carroll County, Liber EMM 148 , Folio 133)

1927-1931: J. Edwin Hood and Maude Hood purchase the property, but ultimately fail to pay the mortgage during the great depression. Westminster Saving Bank (the bank which issued the original mortgage) sells the property in 1931 to A.C. Brown (Maryland Land Records, Folio EMM 155, Folio 354; Liber EMM 84, Folio 40)

1928-1931: The New Idea Clothing and Shoe Store under J.M. Ephraim moves their store to this location (Sykesville Herald-Messenger, 30 August 1928; 10 January 1929) This store was replaced by the New Theater in 1931 (Sykesville Herald, 19 March 1931) run by Lester Phelps, son of the building's owner Harry Phelps, in the former location of the New Idea Clothing and Shoe Store showing the talkie picture "Animal Crackers." (Sykesville Herald, 19 March 1931; 9 April 1931, Maryland Land Records, Liber EMM 155, Folio 354)

1930: The Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P Store) moves from the Arcade Building (7566 Main Street) to this location under the management of Maurice Berry (Sykesville Herald, 20 February 1930)

1931: The Hood building is sold at auction for $16, 725 to A.C. Brown, who also buys Phelps' Store across the street, which Brown was renting as a grocery and meat business at this time. At its time of sale, the upstairs of 7565 Main Street were occupied apartments, while the main floor was the post office, the A&P store, Mayor Millard H. Weer's office, and one vacant store and one small room unoccupied. (Sykesville Herald, 26 February 1931, p.1) 

1931: Irvin E. Buckingham Insurance moves from the Arcade building (7566 Main Street) to this location (Sykesville Herald, 3 September 1931)

1936: The Sykesville Post Office moves from the Arcade Building (see 7566 Main Street) to the far right end of this building and remained at this location until 1976.  ("Sykesville Past and Present" Linda Greenberg, 2012). Also in 1936, the property is sold to Ralph and Emily Hoffman to Mary and H. Lester Phelps (Maryland Land Records, Liber EMM 164, Folio 92)

1940-c. 1952: The North end of the building houses the Phelps Movie Theater, with Lester and Maude Phelps as owners. Between the movie theater and the post office was a grocery store ("Sykesville Past and Present" Linda Greenberg, 2012)

c. 1943: United Food Store, a grocery store owned by Herman Rezznick operated the middle of this space between the movie theater and post office. 

1946: Property is sold by Mary, H. Lester, and Marjorie E. Phelps to Steve and Mary Holevas ( Maryland Land Records, Liber EAS 189, Folio 497)

1947: Property is sold by Steve and Mary Holevas to Irving and Rose Levy (Maryland Land Records, Liber EAS 197, Folio 151)

1952: property is sold first by Irving and Rose Levy to Israel and Mary Joblin (Maryland Land Records Liber EAS 212, Folio 378) and then later the same year  to Leroy Applefield and Philip Needle et. al. (Maryland Land Records, Liber EAS 214, Folio 100)

c. 1952-1957: The Sykes Theater, under proprietor B. Dorsey Ridgely, operates in the location of the Phelps Movie Theater. The site closed sometime between the end of 1956 and early 1957, with the last record of advertisement issued November 28, 1956 (Sykesville Herald, p. 2). Damage to the Herald records prevents further accuracy in this date, but there are no local movie listings in Sykesville after this date through at least 1967.

1968: property conveys from T. Bryan McIntire (trustee of Leroy Applefeld and Philip Needle et. al.) to Vanbah Corporation (Maryland Land Records Liber 442, Folio 35, 658)

1970: property conveys by Vanbah Corporation to Sandosky Contractors Inc., along with five adjacent lots. (Maryland Land Records, Liber: EMM Jr. 149, Folio 133)

1973-1976: The majority of the building is occupied as Ye Olde Post Inn, a restaurant and lounge.  (see above photos)

1981: Hary Sandosky and Augustus Bidinger sell the property to Sidney Katz and Oskar Raucheisen (Maryland Land Records, Liber LWS 792, Folio 70)

1981-1982: over the course of six months, the rest of the property is sold at public sale by Westminster Bank and Trust to Sidney Katz and Oskar Raucheisen (Maryland Land Records liber 832, folio 33)

1983: the building is sold by Sidney Katz to Howard Ferguson (SDAT record). Under Ferguson's ownership, the building's interior was radically changed to be one contiguous structure for use as a pub. 

c. 1984-1989: the Moose Lodge uses this space before moving to Eldersburg in 1989 (Carroll County Times, 30 August 1984, p. 22; Carroll County Times, 28 February 1984, p. 24)

1989-1992: Fergie's Restaurant and Lounge operated by Howard Ferguson (Carroll County Times, 26 December 1989 p. 30). Howard Ferguson sells the property in 1996 to Samuel J. Pfeffercorn (SDAT record)

1992-present (2025): E. W. Beck's Pub Inc. a restaurant and bar moves to this site from their original catering location (see 7560 Main Street), transferring the license of Fergie's to Brian Beck, Joseph Beck and Tom Anuszewski (Carroll County Times, 11 Oct. 1992, p. 26; Carroll County Times 7 July 1992, p. 22). The property itself transferred first from Howard R. Ferguson in 1996 to Beck family LLC and later from Samuel J. Pfeffercorn to Beck Family LLC for $289,000 in 2001 (Carroll County Times, 22 April 2001, p. 19), the building was again sold by the Beck family to CMA LLC. in 2021 (SDAT record).

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Apartment Residents:

1992: Sherry Upperman (Carroll County Times, 5 January 1992, p. 17)

1992: James Calvin Goad, apartment A (Carroll County Times, 2 February 1992, p. 17)

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