Millington is believed to have been built on a tract of land called 'London Bridge', owned by Daniel Massey in 1794. Thomas Gilpin, a Quaker, is actually credited with founding the town. Originally known as Bridgetown, then as 'Head-of-Chester' it was finally named Millington in honor of Richard Millington onto whose farm the town extended.

As the head of the Chester, it was an important mill center during the Revolutionary War and today has some fine examples of Victorian architecture and is known for its good fishing during the annual perch run. It is the site of an old mill built in 1766.

The original millstones can still be seen, and the interior timberwork dates from Revolutionary times. The upper Chester River can be seen from the bridge.

Nearby are the Millington Wildlife Management Area [east of Massey] and Unicorn Lake [on Route 313 south of Millington]. Both are open to the public for freshwater fishing, and Unicorn Lake is also the site of a Department of Natural Resources fishery and research station. [Millington is on Route 291, just east of the junction with Route 301.]