Through the middle of the 19th century, Manchester was primarily a crossroads village and the site of several taverns and inns.

Settlement was slow until after the American Revolutionary War, when the area received an influx of settlers, as Vermont temporarily became the fastest growing U.S.

[6] In the 19th century, the village was overtaken in economic importance by the growth of Manchester Center, and the village was developed and promoted by Charles F. Orvis (founder of the Orvis mail-order business, still based in Manchester) as a summer resort destination for New Yorkers.

The village is one of the first places in New England that was promoted and developed as a summer resort community.

[7] Manchester Village is located on the banks of the Batten Kill in the north–south trending valley between the Green Mountains on the east and the Taconics on the west.

Vermont Route 7A runs north–south through the village, and the Batten Kill forms its eastern boundary.