Kent County Parks and Recreation, a division of Kent County Levy Court, was recently awarded a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service as part of their “Save America’s Treasures” program. The grant funding will pay for significant renovations of the Goggin Manor House and Brecknock County Park in Camden.
Save America’s Treasures, funded through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), provided $356 million
to more than 1,326 projects between 1999 and 2020. Requiring a dollar-for-dollar private match, these
grants have leveraged more than $500 million in private investment and contributed more than 16,000
jobs to local and state economies.
Kent County Levy Court matched the Federal funding with another $500,000, increasing the total project
budget to $1,000,000. The grant project period is from November 21, 2022, to September 30, 2025.
The Goggin Manor House at Brecknock County Park was built in four (4) stages beginning in the
eighteenth century through the late nineteenth century. The house is constructed of brick and frame
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The land and buildings that make up Brecknock County Park was deeded to Kent County Levy Court, by
Mrs. Elizabeth Howell-Goggin in 1991, through her last will and testament. She remained in the house
until her passing in June 1992. Through Kent County Parks and Recreation, the land was transformed
into a public park, and to this day remains one of the most visited parks in Kent County.