The town of Stowe was settled in the early 19th century, with the first building in what is now village center a tavern built in 1811. This area was better suited for both industry and the growth of a village than older settlements to the north and south, and it was recognized in the 1840s as the town center by the placement of the post office. The tourist trade arose early in the town, with visitors drawn to the mountain scenery, promoted by W.H.H. Bingham, builder of the large Mount Mansfield Hotel in 1864 (burned down in 1889), the Summit Hotel on Mount Mansfield, and roads to Mount Mansfield and Smugglers Notch. The result of this growth in the 19th century is a streetscape diverse in 19th-century architecture.