This lithograph, created by Helen Lucia, was created for the Bicentennial celebration of Milford in 1987. The lithograph depicts Milford as it would have looked at the time Parson Sydenham Thorne and Joseph Oliver established the town between 1787 and 1800. This photo appears in Images of America: Milford by Dave Kenton.
At the bottom of the plot is Parson Thorne’s mill, erected in 1787 along with the buildings of Clayton & Blackston’s tannery. The tannery was located at the southeast corner of Maple Avenue and Northwest Front Street. The mill site and basin pond are located at the south end of Mill Street, along the Riverwalk.
Across Northwest Front Street from the mill is Silver Hill, now known as Parson Thorne mansion. In the center of the plot is the intersection of Northwest Front and Church Street where John Ralstonlived, later known as the Sudler Apartments which are now demolished.
On the southeast corner of Church is the home of Molton Rickards, an early merchant and later called Purity Row. Farther up Church is Christ Episcopal Church where Parson Thorne served the congregation.
At the top of the plot is North Street where the Towers home sits at the northwest corner. At the time this lithograph depicts, the Towers was a plain frame house until it was restored in 1891 by Rhoda Roudebush, the daughter of Governor William Burton.
On the west side of North Street, the old Milford Academy is visible with its cupola and bell which were erected in 1810.
Until about 1820, nearly all commercial activity in Milford centered along Northwest Front Street between North Walnut Street and Maple Avenue. Later, the business district expanded southward along North Walnut Street to the Mispillion River bridge.
