David Welch, one of the early arrivals, built a house in about 1756 that still stands near the eastern end of the village.

Other early residents dammed the branches of the Shepaug River to operate sawmills, gristmills, and other water-powered industry.

The small settlement was formally granted parish status by the town in 1768, and its first church was built in 1791.

The village flourished until the mid-19th century, after which it declined, bypassed by the railroads and technological advances reducing dependence on water power.

Two bridges cross over the East branch of the Shepaug River, and there are archaeological remnants of the water-powered industries.