John Martin is regarded as the town’s founder and set out the first streets in the pattern of the Union Flag in the 19th century. Many of the town’s streets are named after foreign cities visited by Martin. Before Martinborough was established the southern part of the region was known as Waihenga, a point that seems to be lost at times in the history of the district.
A feature is the colonial architecture, one example of which is the historic Martinborough Hotel, built in 1882.Prior to the expansion of viticulture, Martinborough was largely a rural service town for nearby farms.