From its earliest days as a stagecoach stop, Harrington has long been nicknamed the "Hub of Delaware."

First established on September 17, 1740, by Thomas Clark, the lands surrounding Clark's dwelling place became known as Clarks Corner. By the 1790s, Thomas Clark's son Benjamin and grandson Matthew Clark had built an inn and stagecoach stop there. The crossroads remained unchanged throughout its early history, save for the addition of a mill and blacksmith's shop. Over half a century later in 1856, the town was made the major junction of the new train lines serving the entire Delmarva Peninsula. After it became a "hub," the town was renamed Harrington in honor of Judge Samuel Maxwell Harrington, the chancellor of the court in Delaware. The town may not have the same impact today as it did before the popularization of automobiles, but it still keeps the small-town charm captured in the images and imaginations of so many.