It encompasses what is now the economic and civic heart of the town, centered on the Jaffrey Mills and the crossing of the Contoocook River by Route 124.

The district includes early 19th-century residential structures, as well as industrial buildings and housing associated with the Jaffrey Mills which arose in the mid-19th century.

The village of East Jaffrey had its beginnings with the establishment of saw and grist mills on the Contoocook River in 1770 by John Boorland.

The construction of a turnpike (now NH 124) near the mills in 1799 brought further economic activity.

By the mid-19th century the area had seen significant growth, with a large number of Greek Revival houses, and a growing array of businesses and civic institutions.