The Main Street district has the largest concentration of architecturally significant commercial buildings in Mount Horeb, including fine Queen Anne, Classical Revival, and Boomtown Front commercial and institutional buildings. It is also important in commerce because its resources span the development of Mount Horeb’s central business district from 1881 to 1968. There are 29 buildings in the district, all built between 1867 and 1948.

Settlement in the village of Mount Horeb initially clustered at the intersection of present-day 8th and Springdale streets, west of the historic district. In 1881, the Chicago & North Western Railway extended a line through Mount Horeb, but could not find a location for the depot near 8th and Springdale streets. A site was selected between current South 1st and South 2nd streets. South 1st Street and East Main Street immediately became the prime commercial area. Some business owners moved their buildings, while others erected new ones. By the early twentieth century, the commercial district was expanding east and west along Main Street, gaining much of its current appearance by the mid-1930s. Through World War II, Mount Horeb primarily served as an agricultural support community for farmers in the surrounding area, most of whom engaged in dairying. Following World War II, Mount Horeb developed a thriving tourist sector, which continues to prosper. The Main Street Historic District remains the village’s principal commercial zone.