Darlington, Maryland

Geography

Darlington is located in northeastern Harford County at (39.502757, −76.318971), along Maryland Route 161. U.S. Route 1 crosses the northern side of the community, leading northeast 65 mi to Philadelphia and southwest 35 mi to Baltimore. Route 1 crosses the Susquehanna River at Conowingo Dam, 2 mi northeast of Darlington. Havre de Grace is 11 mi to the southeast via Routes 161 and 155.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Darlington CDP has a total area of 2.72 km2, all land.

Demographics

Historic sites

Main article: Darlington Historic District

The southern part of the CDP, south of Shuresville Road, is part of the Darlington Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1987. There are approximately 100 contributing properties, including buildings by architects such as Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr. and Walter Cope. The village was also home to Harry Webb Farrington.

Other sites listed on the NRHP in the community and surrounding region are the Deer Creek Friends Meetinghouse along Main Street near US 1; Berkley Crossroads Historic District and Berkley School, less than 1 mi north of Darlington on Maryland Route 623; Gray Gables and Wildfell, less than 1 mile to the northwest on US 1; the Lower Deer Creek Valley Historic District, 3 mi to the southwest; and the Silver Houses Historic District, 2.5 mi south of town on Route 161.

History

There is evidence for settlement in the town around 1700, but not much before that time. Darlington had a stagecoach line to Baltimore and a lot of traffic from the Susquehanna and the Tidewater Canal had to go through it.

The Darlington Academy was built in 1836 and used to be a popular school in Harford County. Additionally, almost 100 years later in 1928 the Conowingo Dam was built and made it easier to travel across.

Community

Local children attend the Darlington Elementary School near the center of town. The elementary school has one class per grade level (K through 5), and two autism classrooms. There is no high school in Darlington, so students usually enroll in Havre De Grace High School.

An annual apple festival is held in Darlington the first Saturday in October, and attracts almost 60,000 people.

Darlington and the surrounding communities are provided fire and EMS service by the Darlington Volunteer hobbyist Company.

The Darlington public library, formerly located within the town, was moved to the nearby intersection of Maryland Route 136 and U.S. Route 1 in October 2022. Darlington also has several houses of worship, including Franklin Baptist Church, Harmony Presbyterian Church, Grace Episcopal Church, Darlington United Methodist Church, Deer Creek Friends Meetinghouse, and Hosanna AME Church located in historic Berkley, Maryland.

Photos of Darlington

File:View_of_Darlington,_Maryland.jpg|View of Darlington File:The old Kirk House.jpg|The old Kirk House File:Deer Creek Friends Meeting.jpg|Deer Creek Friends Meetinghouse File:Darlington village July 2011.jpg|Darlington village File:Grace Memorial Episcopal Church.jpg|Grace Memorial Episcopal Church (1876–78), Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr., architect File:Darlington Methodist Church March 2012.jpg|Darlington Methodist Church File:Darlington Elementary School.jpg|Darlington Elementary School File:Harmony Presbyterian Church in Darlington, MD.jpg|Harmony Presbyterian Church File:Lloyd's Store.jpg|Scarborough General Store and Garage

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. (2023). "Darlington MD ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com.
3. [http://www.darlingtonapplefest.org The Darlington Apple Festival] {{Webarchive. link. (2005-12-30 , Darlington Apple Festival. Accessed 2007-11-26.)
4. (April 2020}}{{cbignore). "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Darlington CDP, Maryland". U.S. Census Bureau.
5. (2011-02-12). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
7. [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/md/729 Darlington Elementary School], GreatSchools.net, 2007. Accessed 2007-11-26.
8. "Harford County celebrates opening of new Darlington Library".