Hugh H. Hickman and Sons, Inc. was founded by our Great- Grandfather Hugh Harbeson Hickman in Bethany Beach in 1931. During the Great Depression, Hugh moved from Philadelphia to Ocean View, Delaware bringing his young family with him to try and find work in the construction business. As in Philadelphia, there was very little new home construction starting in the area, so his work began with the construction of chicken houses and ship building. Eventually, things improved and Hugh was asked by family and friends to build their homes in the area. The quality and pride in his work was evident to all, and he became the premiere builder in the area . Our grandfather Raymond John Hickman and his brother Harbeson Hugh Hickman attended Lord Baltimore School and then served time in WWII. Once home, Harbeson began working with his father and Raymond attended the University of Delaware where he majored in business administration. While in college Raymond re-connected with the love of his life that he had met in Ocean View in his earlier years, Sally West. Sally and Raymond Hickman were married in 1949 and then moved to Bethany Beach where Ray began to work in the building business with his father and brother.
With his background in business and working and learning the building business, Raymond took over the Building Business from his father in 1960. Ray and Sally had seen the opportunity the town of Bethany beach had to offer and grow in future, so with Ray now owning Hugh H Hickman & Sons and his wife Sally's background in sales they went on to create Hickman Real Estate and Hugh H. Hickman and Sons Builders. It wasn't long before the town of Bethany beach started to prosper and the barren land that surrounded it began to get purchased by locals and people from out of the area. Raymond, his father and brother, had by this time built quite a reputation and built many of the first beach homes in the area on just a handshake.  In 1981 Ray's son-in-law Tim Tribbitt (our father) started working for Raymond after marrying our mother, Jane. With a background in teaching construction, it seemed the perfect fit for Tim to learn more about beach construction from his father-in-law. In 1986 Raymond was ready to retire and hand the torch off to someone he could trust and could carry on his family's reputation. Tim was the perfect fit. After 5 years of working under Raymond he grew to understand the Hickman difference when it came to the construction of custom beach homes. Since 1986 Tim has continued proving the reputation that Hugh H. Hickman & Sons is the Premier custom home builder in the Bethany Beach area. His 'hands on' philosophy was his mantra, and his clients can certainly vouch for that. 
2024 was the year that Tim decided it was time to retire. The fourth generation of Hugh H. Hickman & Sons, Inc. has proudly taken new ownership. Tim's sons, Tyler and Matthew, have been working with the company for several years and have learned the business and construction under Tim's watchful eyes and supervision. Our promise to our clients is consistent communication to all parties involved in the process, our on hand supervision and a beautiful well-built final product. We will provide the same superior Hugh H. Hickman and Sons home that we have provided for almost 100 years and that you will be overjoyed with when you move into your new home.