Marlboro, also called “New Marlborough” prior to 1800, was first granted a charter from the Crown of England in 1751. Since no settlement took place, that charter was forfeited and a second charter was granted in 1761.

Based on the charter of 1761, the township was surveyed in 1762 with the creation of 64 equal divisions or “rights” excepting four lots in the center of town. A copy of this original plan may be seen at the Town Clerk’s office.

Marlboro’s first settlers came in the spring of 1763. By 1799 there were 313 “scholars”, ages 4-18, attending school in seven districts. The town’s population peaked in 1820 to almost 1300, but declined in the following decades in response to the economy and westward migration. In recent years the population has steadily increased. The year 2010 census records a population of 1078.

The first Congregational Church was built in 1778 on what we call Town Hill, referred to then as Meetinghouse Hill. The roof of the church was badly damaged and in 1820 a second church was built near the first. In 1822 the inhabitants voted to build a Town House at the southwest corner of the “NEW Meetinghouse Common” and that was done, using timbers and boards from the first building.

These two buildings, the Meeting House and the Town House, were moved down the hill, the Meeting House having been moved in 1844. The Meeting House burned in 1931 and was rebuilt. The Town House was placed at the east side of the village center, remaining there until 1966 when it was moved across the road to its present location.

The Whetstone Inn was built by Deacon Jonas Whitney who came to Marlboro about 1773, the year he married. Town records show that a “legal Town Meeting” was held at the house of Jonas Whitney Innholder (sic) in the Township of New Marlboro (sic) Sept. 26, 1775.”

As Marlboro was a half shire town of the County of Windham in the early days, courts were held alternately with Westminster, and during a time the Inn was used as a courthouse. At various other periods of its history the Inn has served as a tavern, post office, dance hall and sometime Congregationalist Meetinghouse. It is presently known as the Whetstone Inn.

The Marlboro Meeting House, as previously noted, was rebuilt after fire destroyed it in 1931. It is a near replica of the 1820 church and remains a Congregationalist Meeting House with regular services during the summer months and occasional services during the remainder of the year.  An outstanding annual event is the Christmas Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols. On weekdays during the winter and spring it now houses a pre-school, Meeting House School, for children ages 3-5.

The Marlboro common finally took the shape chosen by townspeople in numerous studies and discussions, culminating in the building of the Town Office in 1969, and enlarged in 1999. The new structure provides space for the Town Clerk’s office and the Post Office.

Today the common is a harmonious blend of the Whetstone Inn, the Meeting House, the Town Office and Post Office, and the Town House, all facing a view of the distant mountains.

Over the years, many industries and activities have been based in the center of Marlboro village. The following list is incomplete, but at various times there could be found: two inns, a brick schoolhouse, high school classes in the Meeting House, a carpenter shop, store(s), an ashery, a tan house, shoemaker(s), a blacksmith shop, a wheelwright shop, a wagon maker, a post office, parsonage(s), a doctor in residence, a chair factory, a town pound and in recent years, a museum of the historical society.

Recent years have seen the development of a few businesses and cultural enterprises beyond the center of town. Marlboro College was founded in 1947. The Marlboro Music Festival, organized in 1951 has its summer headquarters here on the grounds of Marlboro College. In 1954 one room school houses were finally abandoned with the construction of the Marlboro Elementary School on Route 9. There are no heavy industries and Marlboro today still retains the rural character it had in its founding in 1763.

Vital Statistics

County: Windham

Area Code: 802

Zip Code: 05344

Longitude:  -72.72806

Latitude:  42.86945

Time Zone:  Eastern Standard Time, (GMT -5 hours, CST: GMT -4 hours)

Population: 1,078

Housing Units: 497

Total Area: 40.65

Water Area: 0.32

Land Area: 40.33

How far to:

Boston: 92 miles

New York: 162 miles

Burlington, VT: 115 miles