Clarence Town owes its name to Maj. Archibald William George Taylor, a Loyalist born in 1808 in North Carolina. He supported England during the Civil War and was granted land on Long Island, which is now all of Clarence Town, naming it after one of his brothers.

Like the rest of Long Island, the settlements and facilities around Clarence Town are spread out. To get a complete picture of the area, a rental car is a must. In and around Clarence Town you will find a bakery/grocery store on the hill, a gas station, fresh produce and restaurants.

The biggest draw is the two beautiful churches here with twin towers, both designed by John Hawes, a British architect who became an Anglican priest in 1903. Best known as "Father Jerome," his first home in the Bahamas was on Long Island, where he was sent to repair churches damaged by a hurricane in 1908. Later, while living on Cat Island, he erected several churches including the Hermitage, built by hand using native materials.  The two Father Jerome churches in Clarence Town are the Anglican/Episcopal St. Paul's Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic St. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church.