Rutland

HARRINGTON, Benjamin

Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867, p 863
[extracted from a section on the history of Shelburne, Rutland County, 
Vermont]

Benjamin HARRINGTON, for many years a sea-faring man, emigrated to this place 
[Shelburne, Rutland County, Vermont] from Connecticut, soon after the 
Revolutionary War, in company with his father and his brother, William C. 
HARRINGTON, who was the first lawyer that settled in Burlington [Chittenden 
County, Vermont]. Benjamin [HARRINGTON] and William [HARRINGTON] purchased 
the lot at the end of Potter's Point, previously occupied by HUBBELL and 
BUSH, and traded for a while in a log building erected by HUBBELL and BUSH 
and occupied by them as a store. In 1788 Benjamin purchased a lot at the 
center of the town, erected a log cabin and removed to that place, it then 
being an unbroken wilderness, a hemlock swamp and a frog pond the year round 
where SIMONDS store now stands. In 1789 he [Benjamin HARRINGTON] erected a 
frame house a few rods back of where Col. Frederick FLETCHER now resides (the 
[railroad?] cars now passing directly over where this building was erected), 
cleared up the land, and caused a public road to be laid out and opened from 
Middlebury [Addison County] to Burlington [Chittenden County], known as the 
main road. In 1796, soon after this road was laid out, he erected the large 
building which has ever been used as a public house, now owned and occupied 
by Cornelius H. HARRINGTON, a descendant from him. He was one of the most 
enterprising business men in the community; entered largely into business; 
added farm to farm, and accumulated wealth. He was the contractor, in 1807, 
for building the white church edifice, as it is called, and completed it to 
the satisfaction of the people, with dispatch and credit to himself. Was 
associated with Jedediah BOYNTON for several years in mercantile business. 
Was the father of several sons and daughters. Henry [HARRINGTON], the 
youngest, now owns and occupies most of his real estate at the center of 
town. But he ["he" somewhat unclear, but probably refers to Cornelius H. 
HARRINGTON] was arrested in the prime of manhood and in the midst of his 
business operations by a fatal disease, and closed his earthly labors 17 
January 1810, aged forty-eight years [thus born about 1752], and was buried 
the day that has ever been known as the cold Friday.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly