The first Lee Middleton dolls were produced in 1978, when Lee Middleton began sculpting baby dolls based on her own two children. Those first dolls, which she created at her kitchen table more than 25 years ago, inspired her to create the Middleton Doll Company in 1982.

Today, Lee Middleton dolls are famous among collectors, and have been featured on TV shows as diverse as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Touched by an Angel, and ER. They were even featured in a documentary on the History Channel. Lee Middleton Original Dolls, Inc. (as the company became known in 1991) has also been featured in Time Magazine, Newsweek, and numerous magazines dedicated to doll collecting.

The doll factory is located in Belpre, Ohio. By 1997 (the same year as Lee Middleton's death), the company had become so successful that the Mayor proclaimed Belpre 'The Baby Doll Capital of the World.' Middleton dolls are known for their very lifelike faces. They have inserted eyelashes, jointed bodies, realistic wigs, and other high-quality details that distinguish them from lesser dolls.

Lee Middleton dolls have won numerous awards over the years, including a number of Doll of the Year (DOTY) awards from Doll Reader magazine. Playthings Magazine included Middleton Dolls in its 'Toys of the Century' article. Reva Schick and Eva Helland, the two artists who currently design and create the Middleton baby dolls, have also won numerous prestigious awards.