Formerly known as Clark’s Corner, this community grew from settlement by the Clark family in the 1730’s and the later establishment of an inn, tavern, store, and mill nearby. It remained little more than a country crossroads until the railroad arrived in 1856. That year, Matthew J. Clark subdivided part of his land into town lots that became the nucleus of the growing community. In 1859, the state legislature renamed the town for Judge Samuel M. Harrington, who played a leading role in bringing the railroad to southern Delaware. Harrington was incorporated by the General Assembly on March 23, 1869.