Middletown was established in 1797 by Peter Senseney as a tollhouse and tavern location along the Great Wagon Road. The town became notable primarily for the climactic Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864. Middletown is home to several important institutions, including the Wayside Inn, the oldest continuously operating inn in America, and the great Wayside Theater, which operated for 52 seasons and hosted prominent actresses like Susan Sarandon and Kathy Bates. Through vintage photographs ranging from the establishment of Virginia's first agricultural high school to the inception of Lord Fairfax Community College, which developed from humble beginnings into one of the fastest-growing colleges in the state, Middletown is a visual celebration of a community that has blossomed into a picturesque town.