Lacy & Edna Francis started the business in 1951, after Mr. Francis’ employer (Millard Tilley) passed away suddenly.  Faced with a half finished project, Lacy completed the project by himself.  Soon after that house was finished, Mr. Johnny Hubble approached Lacy and asked him if he would like to build a house for him.  Mr. Hubble bought all the material and paid Lacy to build it.  Thus Francis Construction was born. The next house to be built by Mr. Francis was the iconic Estes house perched on a hill at   Moore’s Mill Road.  It was while on that job, Mr. Bill Ellis approached Lacy and asked him if he could use some help.  Mr. Ellis went on to work for Lacy for over 25 years as his lead framer. One of the trademarks of an early “Lacy Francis” home was the custom built in cabinetry.  Mr. Sid Plummer worked in the cabinet shop for over 25 years.  Many customers marveled at how Sid could walk into a framed up house carrying two sticks, hold the sticks up to the four walls, make some marks on them and show up three weeks later with a completed kitchen.  That kind of knowledge and skill has been passed down and is still used today!  While we no longer build our own cabinetry, we do have the knowledge and experience of how to do it and apply that to your special project. LACY FRANCIS Lacy Francis was a native of West Jefferson, NC and traveled to Harford County in 1933 in search of employment.  Having milked cows by hand and hauled calves to market, he moved on to try carpentry, working at Bainbridge during its heyday.  He later went to work as a carpenter for Mr. Millard Tilley for many years, and later as his foreman.  He also learned the cabinet making trade from Mr. Tilley as well as home building.  Lacy would relate how he built a milk barn at a farm out of green oak, using a hand saw to cut all the joists and rafters.  If you ever shook his hand, you would know he was telling the truth! Even though Mr. Francis could be demanding to work for, many talented carpenters and craftsmen came to work for Lacy and stayed many years.  Mr. Francis passed away in 1994 at the age of 81. VICTOR MILLER         Vic Miller is a native of Harford County, and started working for his father-in-law, Mr. Francis, in the summer of 1972 right after he completed his four year tour of duty in the USAF as a technical instructor.  After just four months of working in the business, the seed was planted.  Vic went on to attend Towson University, but soon went to work for Harford Mutual Insurance Co. as a claims examiner.  After six years in that profession, Mr. Francis casually remarked one Sunday afternoon in October 1978, that he wished Vic had stayed on with him to take the business over. Vic came back to work for Lacy in January 1979.  He spent over five years working in the custom cabinet shop and worked with the framing & trim crews for over twenty-three years.  Vic and his wife Mary purchased the business from Lacy and Edna in 1988 and are in their 20th year as owners of the business.

Lacy & Edna Lacy and Crew Vic & Lacy, 1991 Mary and Vic Miller