Aligned along the south side of Railroad Avenue and adjacent portions of Main Street, the area underwent most of its development between 1900 and 1940, when Essex Junction served as a major regional railroad hub.

The downtown area was almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1893, but was rebuilt in the following decades.

Although the railroads declined in use after World War II, the village continues to serve freight traffic, and has a passenger station on Amtrak's Vermonter service.

[2] The central focal point of the historic district is the Brownell Block, a two-story brick commercial building (pictured) at the western corner of Main Street and Railroad Avenue.

Half the buildings were built before 1900, with only one (3 Main Street) predating the 1893 fire.