The land that is now Frelighsburg was originally inhabited by the
Abenaki people. It was established as a colony in the late 1790s by
American Loyalists, including pioneer Abram Freligh, a physician of
German origin who lived in
Clinton,
New York. The sawmill built by his son in 1839, and several other buildings from the 19th century are considered historical monuments. Prior to being named Frelighsburgh, it was named Conroy's Mills, named after another mill owner, and
Slab City because of the large quantities of
sawdust and slabs (
slang for
bark) in the area. ==Geography==