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is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,744 at the 2000 census.
Middleton was first settled in 1659 and was officially incorporated in 1728. Prior to 1728 it was considered a part of Salem. It was first settled by Bray Wilkins. It grew as a farming community mostly due to its location on the Ipswich River. The name Middleton is derived from its location mid way between the important early settlements of Salem and Andover.
In the late 1700s and to the mid 1800s it was a vacation town to those who lived in areas such as Lawrence and Lowell. It is home to one of the oldest trees in Massachusetts. It is approximately 400 years old, and is located at 53 Peabody Street. The oldest still standing house is the Wilkins house, which was built in 1693. It is home to many other buildings. It was a tavern on the main road between Salem and Lawrence.
Middleton is one of the fastest growing cities in the Commonwealth, and the fastest on the North Shore. The town is considered part of the Boston metropolitan area. It is 15.2 miles from the state house in Boston. When locally grouped it is grouped with Salem, Danvers, and Beverly, but also occasionally Topsfield and Boxford, as these three towns are a tri-town.