The History of Milford W. Twilley Rental Management, Inc

With only $7 and a vision, Milford Twilley set out to convince local businessmen to take a chance on him. Negotiating deals for land and materials in exchange for his labor, he was not only able to build and sell his first house but he was able to gain the knowledge needed to build another, and another. He used his mules to clear and haul wood for a local lumber company which paid him inland. The now experienced Mr. Twilley secured a loan from a local bank to build 9 more houses on that land. To his surprise he was incredibly successful in his efforts, completing the homes and securing tenants for each of them.

Having figured out how to succeed despite the Depression, Milford’s newest hurdle was World War II which made building materials such as nails and bolts difficult to find. At the age of 25, the ingenious Mr. Twilley established a cinder block manufacturing business known as Salisbury Concrete Company and he offered his services to the military. He soon began building housing in Norfolk and Pocomoke for those stationed at areas bases.

After the War, Milford once again focused his efforts on building locally. Beginning in 1947 Milford built 126 homes which were known as Princeton Homes, Boulevard and North Park Gardens Apartments, 100 homes in the Belmont Avenue neighborhood, 50 homes in Easton, and built 80 homes in the Sunset Heights area. He built 172 more homes before the end of 1957 in Pocomoke and Salisbury which included 75 upper income customized homes in the Druid Hill Park neighborhood and 45 homes in Section I of Crestwood. Between 1962 and 1974 he built over 515 more homes in Salisbury.

In 1957 he constructed the Department of Social Services building which was then located on Railroad Avenue. Over the next 25 years he was responsible for building 3 Post Offices, a bank building, and the Shore Distributors, Inc. building in Ocean City. He built several multi-family communities such as Moss Hill Townhouses, Princess Anne Townhouse Company, Brookridge Townhouses I & II, West Road Apartments, Fruitland Apartments, and Stewarts Neck Apartments. He also built Booth Street Townhouses, Alabama Avenue Housing, and Somers Cove Townhouses as turn- key public housing projects for the county.

In 1977 Milford Twilley began the Twilley Centre on Mt. Hermon Road in Salisbury. Built on land once farmed by his father, the shopping center housed 19 individual businesses in over 176,000 square feet of space.

Over the years, Milford W. Twilley has been responsible for the erection of over 2,300 residential homes, made land available for over 200 homes, and provided shopping areas and office space for area residents of the Eastern Shore.

In 1993 Milford W. Twilley passed away leaving behind an undeniable legacy. He attributed his success to hard work and common sense and remained modest about his accomplishments throughout his life often giving credit to his family’s love for farming and those who believed in him along the way.