Williamstown, chartered on August 9, 1781, was named for Williamstown, Massachusetts. Early settlers built the first dwellings on West Hill in 1784. Among these early landowners was Elijah Paine who served as Williamstown's first moderator and Representative to the General Assembly, eventually becoming a Vermont Supreme Court Justice, a U.S. Senator from Vermont and a Judge of the U.S. District Court.

The inventor Thomas Davenport, born here in 1802, trained as a blacksmith's apprentice before moving to Brandon. He there developed the world's first electric motor which he patented in 1837.

One of the greatest attractions in Williamstown is its scenic Gulf, once the site of medicinal springs that drew travelers form many states to "take the waters". This natural area, unsettled and unspoiled, now offers a peaceful home to native flora and fauna and presents wonderful opportunities for naturalists, birders and photographers.