The Farrington Science Building, or the Farrington Building, was built in 1958 and was named to honor Claude Bolin Farrington, an alumnus of SHNI and an SHSTC chemistry professor. The building housed the Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics Departments. Facilities within the building included laboratories, a planetarium, and a celestial observatory.

Before the construction of the Farrington Building, science classes were held in the Science Building from 1916, which moved the science classes from Austin Hall. The 1916 Science Building is now the Bobby K. Marks Administration Building (also known as the Marks Administration Building).

In 1985, the observatory moved to Country Campus due to the encroaching light from the expanding city and campus. In 1997, the observatory was moved again off Highway 19 near Riverside.

In 2002, the Board of Regents approved the funds for renovations and the construction of an addition to the Farrington building. Renovations to the building were initially reserved for the first floor; however, in 2004, the rest of the building was approved and completed in 2006. In 2003, the addition to Farrington was redesigned as a separate facility which became the Chemistry and Forensic Sciences Building located near Farrington. Construction started on March 28, 2004, and was completed in September 2005.

The Farrington Pit receives its name by being close to the Farrington Building. It is the site of the original Education Building, which was removed in 1983 due to foundation issues.