Civil War artist James Taylor made several sketches here, noting that “the roadway was narrow with time-worn houses of stone, brick and wood.” In 1941 the WPA guide called Middleway “a quiet village with aging gable-roofed buildings of white-washed stone, faded brick, or logs, covered with weatherboard or rough-cast plaster.” Some things never change, as Middleway looks the same today. Unfortunately, the name did change. Middleway was established as Smithfield, but became widely known as Wizard's Clip after 1790 when a bizarre series of events, including weird sounds, occurred after the death and burial of an unknown traveler. These stopped after a Catholic priest performed an exorcism.
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