The origin of the name of Darlington is uncertain, but it may have been named for Darlington, England. The county was formed in 1785, with the county seat at Darlington, and until 1800 it was a part of the Cheraws District. Parts of Darlington County were removed to form Florence County in 1888 and Lee County in 1902. This area was settled in the mid-eighteenth century by Welsh, Scotch-Irish, and English farmers, who grew cotton primarily.
In more recent years the county has been best known for the stock car races which take place at the Darlington Raceway. David Rogerson Williams (1776-1830), governor and scientific experimenter, was a native of Darlington; he is remembered for introducing the mule to Southern agriculture.
Other prominent Darlington residents were industrialists James Lide Coker (1837-1918) and David R. Coker(1870-1938) and novelists Annie Greene Nelson (1902-1993) and Elizabeth Boatwright Coker (1909-1993).
The public square and the Court House now sit in their present location because of an argument between two men, Colonel Lamuel Benton and Captain Elias Dubose in the late 1700s. The tale goes that the disagreement began over whether the courthouse should be located in Mechanicsville or Cuffey Town South Carolina. It was said that the two compromised, each beginning in their town traveling on horseback until reaching one another. The spot where they met is now the site of the Darlington public square and courthouse.
A fire in March 1806 destroyed the original Court House. It was rumored at the time that an old woman was responsible for the flames in an attempt to burn papers connected to her coming court case. Between 1824 and 1825 it was rebuilt with brick due to a petition to build all buildings on the Public Square in brick to prevent the spread of fire.
No battles during the Civil War occurred in Darlington. One of Sherman's lieutenants, a former architect, was sent to burn down part of Darlington. When he arrived and saw a house that he had designed, he left the house and the rest of the town standing. The Federal troops burned down the depot, cotton platforms and railroad trestles in 1865. During this time, St. John's Academy was used as a hospital. The also did some foraging. In 1865 Federal troops passed through Darlington and hanged a slave on the Public Square for insurrection.
After the war, the town was occupied by troops which were not withdrawn until 1871. By 1865, Darlington was the Headquarters for the Third Separate Brigade of the Military District of Eastern South Carolina and the Freedman's Bureau. In 1866, during the occupation the worst fire to ever hit Darlington burned down the Court House and the Jail. It was rumored that drunken Federal soldiers were to blame. It is to be noted that Evander M. Law, confederate general, was born in Darlington.
Bruce Springsteen's had a song about Darlington County on his "Born in the USA" album