Middlebury, the shire town of Addison County, was chartered in 1761 and was settled just after the Revolutionary War. Today, the village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to many shops, businesses and architecturally distinguished churches and public buildings. It is the largest community in the county with a population of approximately 8,200. Passing through the heart of the historic village is the Otter Creek, the longest river in Vermont. You can see its powerful waterfall from the Battell Bridge and through the windows of the Frog Hollow Vermont State Craft Center located in a building that was once a mill. In addition to the state craft center, Middlebury hosts the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History. Middlebury is also home to the internationally recognized Middlebury College which has a Performing Arts Center as well as an excellent Museum of Fine Arts.