Like many Vermont communities, Middlebury grew around a major waterfall, which in this case was first a source of waterpower for mills, then powered the local marble fabrication industry, then later generated electricity. Today the six-story cotton mill is gone, the marble working sheds have been restored as a commercial center, and the hydroelectric building has been renovated by Middlebury College as an arts center. But the falls roar on as ever, scenic in any season, and constantly changing. Winter is especially picturesque because mist from the falls freezes on anything nearby, and the energy of the water drop assures there will always be zones of interplay between ice formations and open water.