Others say the street name is derived from a misspelling of the Earl of Harrington, the Secretary of State.

[3] The street saw big changes in the mid-20th century, with massive demolition under the banner of urban renewal.

A huge swath of the downtown area, north of Duke Street, was cleared for the development of Scotia Square and the Cogswell Interchange.

The Birk's Building at the George Street intersection, along with several adjacent smaller structures, were demolished in the early 1990s.

This site is now under the ownership of the provincial government and remains one of the most prominent surface parking lots in the downtown core.

In order to serve the bridge, hundreds of properties were demolished in this area and this section of Barrington Street was partially converted into a limited-access highway.