Milford was an early “planned” community, laid out after the Revolutionary War by Judge John Biddis. Biddis was a riding circuit court judge and literally rode on a horse from town to town to hold court in northeast Pennsylvania. When he purchased the land between the Sawkill and Vandermark Creeks, he chose to model the street and alley pattern in the town’s design after Philadelphia, the nation’s first capital. It is no surprise, therefore, that Atlantic Magazine once called Milford “the prettiest county seat in America.”

Milford’s streets are named after Biddis’ children, and its alleys were named after fruit trees and berry bushes found in the area. The thought and care put into the community’s initial layout is still evident today, with public squares, wide, shade-lined streets, and attractive municipal improvements.