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by David Munford (Author)
Middlebury, Vermont, is the seat of agricultural Addison County. When Gamaliel Painter, a pioneer from Connecticut, noticed the potential in the falls of Otter Creek in the mid-18th century, he and his friends began to harness the waterpower for industry. Stone mill buildings were erected and were later influential in the architecture of Middlebury College, one of the first colleges in Vermont and the country. The first marble industry in Vermont began in Middlebury and exported tons annually. By the mid-19th century, Italian stonecutters were provided with a more efficient way to export their product via the railroad, but economic emphasis eventually shifted to agriculture and animal husbandry. However, two local farm boys, Henry Sheldon and Clinton Smith, distinguished themselves and created a lasting legacy in Middlebury. Sheldon, who was a musician and curator, founded today's Sheldon Museum. Smith was a builder and architect, and his mill below the falls produced the building materials for Middlebury's town hall, a courthouse, and the Methodist church.
