The district is made up of buildings and sites important to the early Latter Day Saint movement.

The LDS Church purchased the first property in the village, the Newel K. Whitney Store, in the late 1970s, and restored it in 1984.

[3] In 2018, Historic Kirtland Village exhibited nearly 600 nativity displays from around the world as part of an annual Christmas tradition in its 10th year.

[4] The most recent addition to the village is the Joseph and Emma Smith home, located one block north of the Kirtland Temple.

The home, purchased by the church in 2012, was dedicated by David A. Bednar on August 26, 2023, following the completion of a restoration project that began in May 2022 to return the house to its 1830s appearance.