Middlebury was settled in the early 18th century, but did not begin achieving an independent identity until 1790, when a congregational parish was authorized. It was incorporated in 1807, its land taken from surrounding towns. The town remained an agricultural area, lacking waterpower for industrial development and transport, and bypassed by the railroads. The town center arose at a junction of multiple roadways, where the first Congregational church was built, and in its early years included services such as a blacksmith and tavern. Due to its quiet rural nature, there has been little residential development in the center since 1840, with many of its civic and religious buildings added later, some as replacements for earlier structures.
