Located at a bend in the West Branch of the Farmington River southeast of New Hartford center, it is a well-preserved example of a rural industrial village.

Sheldon dug a power canal across the bend in the river that forms the village's north and east bounds, that was located between what are now Wickett and Main streets.

Industrial uses included a brass foundry, textile mill, and the woodworking factory of the Chapin family, which became one of the village's dominant businesses.

Most of the industrial facilities of the village have been lost, leaving a combination of worker housing and higher-quality homes of business managers and owners.

[2] The historic district is bounded on the north and east by the West Branch Farmington River, and on the southwest by a rising ridge that roughly parallels Main Street, with a former railroad right-of-way just above its base.