Darlington, Maryland

Darling Darlington

American flags wave high on the telephone poles. At Christmas, wreaths adorn the small village. Three years ago, my husband and I drove through the little village of Darlington, Maryland and I knew it was a place I wanted to live. It reminded me a lot of my childhood home in New England; tree lined streets and historic homes. But Darlington had more. The city hadn’t encroached on the small town. Rolling fields of green that reminded me of an English country side still presided. Horses, sheep and cattle grazed on the fields and historic homes and farms dotted the country side. Darlington was my kind of town but it was too far from my husband’s job, or so we thought.

A year after our country-side stroll, we found a home we loved in Darlington. It was on the Internet and we quickly made an offer and ended up buying the 1866 farmhouse. It is still an hour commute for my husband but as he said, when you have Darlington to come home to, it is worth the drive!

At first, it was the village of Darlington that initially brought us here. A small elementary school with only 100 students located behind our home was perfect. The village had a general store, a post office, pharmacy, library, bank and salon. A convenience store and gas station was just down the road a bit further and a volunteer fire station nearby. Everything we could possibly want was right there. Beautiful stone historic churches remind the residents of the history here. Mansions and farms remind us of the prosperity. It is not uncommon to see thoroughbreds racing through the fields with foals at their side. Deer creek bubbles through the town and empties into the might Susquehanna River. Filling my need for space and water, we have the best of both worlds. Open countryside and rolling fields, harbors and the Chesapeake nearby makes eating Angus steak and crab cakes not a luxury but a way of life! Yet, the prosperity found here has only come about from hard work and a strong faith. This is evident by the humbled residents who live here.

Over time, I have come to realize it is not the beautiful scenery, the historic homes and prosperity that makes Darlington truly unique, but it is the people. That must sound cliché, but it is true. The small town-feel bubbles over when you walk into the general store and end up staying for a half an hour just to talk to the owners. Or when you struggle with packages in the post office only to have the postmaster hurry to your side to help or carry your packages to the car. Or when the local hairdresser fits you in for a quick cut and does it smiling. Life is simpler in the country and it is reflected in the attitudes and kindness of the people who work and live there.

The town supports the people and the people support the town. Each Fourth of July there is a parade. Then the town meets at the local park for a cookout. The kids can play game together or sing karaoke and parents don’t worry about the safety of their kids. Everyone looks out for each other. Then that night, a wonderful fireworks display blasts off.

The herb and blueberry festival draw people to the village of Darlington, but nothing compares to the Apple festival. This will cause local residents to leave for the day as hundreds of thousands of people flock on our small village. Churches, 4-H, boy and girl scout troops busily prepare for this big event in order to raise money for their organizations and again, people come together.

Still, nothing compared to the sense of community until a neighbor, a mother of two was diagnosed with cancer. I’ve never seen so many people rally around a family before and many were complete strangers. The churches and school all pitched in and residents of our small town cooked meals for months so that the family would not have to worry about eating well. I felt reassured that if any problems came upon my family I knew that the residents of Darlington would be there to help.

Jennifer R

Submitted: Tuesday 23rd March 2004, 9:28 AM

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