C. H. Shude
president, Maridel Beach City · active 1926
Of Ocean City; president of the company that laid out Maridel Beach City one mile north of the town in 1926, with his relative C. E. Shude as secretary. The scheme promised $1,500,000 of improvements over five miles of ocean-and-bay frontage — a concrete highway to state specification, sidewalks, curbing, water mains and a four-mile boardwalk, all included in the lot price — with title guaranteed by the Baltimore Trust Company, a ban on frame buildings, and the promise that every lot stood higher above sea level than Ocean City. Sales offices were opened in Ocean City, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and Wilmington, with Daniel Richardson of Norfolk as director of sales.
In the record (1)
1926 · 1926-04-03
A $1,500,000 development called Maridel Beach is laid out one mile north of Ocean City, sold on being higher than Ocean City and 'restricted as to class of purchasers'.
Worcester Democrat, 3 April 1926: the company behind 'building sites for a proposed new resort north of Ocean City' has revived a project that had 'relaxed', and will open offices in Ocean City, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and Wilmington. 'C. H. Shude and C. E. Shude, of Ocean City are president and secretary respectively... The other officers are: Daniel Richardson, Norfolk, director of sales; A. H. Abbott, Berlin, and T. A. Rudell, of Ocean City, district sales directors. The development will be called the Maridel Beach City and the title to the property will be guaranteed by the Baltimore Trust Company... Stringent restrictions will be placed upon the prospective building to be erected on the sites, the sales contracts permitting the use of only stone, brick, stucco or similar construction material.' Full-page advertisements ran through May, June and July in the Worcester Democrat and the Milford Chronicle: 'MARIDEL BEACH — One Mile North of Ocean City, Maryland — A New City by the Sea'; five miles of ocean-and-bay frontage; a concrete highway by Slacum, Brohawn & Woolford of Cambridge, built to Maryland State specifications; 'Concrete sidewalks, and curbing, water mains, grading and a four-mile boardwalk along the ocean front are other features included in the prices of the lots'; 'Every lot is sold with the guarantee that it is higher above sea level than Ocean City, Maryland'; 'No frame buildings'; and — printed as a selling point beside the golf and the tennis — 'Only large beach on the coast restricted as to class of purchasers.' PART-ANSWERED 2026-08-06: something WAS built. One of the three opened links of the Del-Mar-Va ocean boulevard is 'at Maridel Beach, north of Ocean City' by April 1928 — so at least the promised concrete highway was laid and opened. What is still unknown is whether anything else was: houses, lots sold, anyone living there.
Source · checked 2026-08-06