The territory the Nipmuc Indians called Quinnatisset, now included in the town of Thompson, was settled in 1693. The first settler, Richard Evans of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, purchased 200 acres near Quinnatisset Hill. At first part of Killingly, Thompson was incorporated in 1785 as a distinct town and took its name from its principal landholder, Sir Robert Thompson of Middlesex, England. Early architecture remains preserved in Thompson’s dwellings and public buildings. The Vernon Stiles Inn, established in 1814, was a favorite stop for travelers along the Boston to Hartford and Providence to Springfield pikes. The Thompson Bank, incorporated in 1833, was moved in 1963 to Old Sturbridge Village, where it stands as a monument to early mill town culture. The Old Town Hall, dating from 1842, remains on the west side of the Common, and the Congregational Church, completed in 1856, stands on the east side. Historian and author Ellen D. Larned, who wrote the History of Windham County, resided on Thompson Hill, and the noted architect Ithiel Town was also a native of Thompson.