town (township), seat of Addison county, west-central Vermont, U.S. The area was chartered in 1761, along with Salisbury and New Haven, and named for its location midway between the other two. Settled in 1773 by Benjamin Smalley, it was temporarily abandoned (1778–83) because of Tory and Indian attacks. Middlebury College (noted for its summer Bread Loaf Writers' Conference) was chartered in 1800, and the Congregational Church in the town was built in 1806–09. Vermont's marble-quarrying industry began there in 1803, and light manufacturing (food processing, plastics, and clothing) has succeeded it. Skiing and summer tourism are economically important. The famous Morgan horses (see photograph-->) are bred at a nearby farm managed by the University of Vermont (Vermont, University of). Area 39 square miles (101 square km). Pop. (2000) 8,183; (2007 est.) 8,205.