Browns Branch County Park

1415 Killens Pond Rd Harrington, DE 19952

Browns Branch County Park was presented to the citizens of Kent County on Tuesday, October 26, 2004. It is a joint project of the Kent County Levy Court, Department of Community Services, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund, and members of the Delaware General Assembly.

Browns Branch includes 38 acres of forested floodplain and 40 acres of former tilled uplands, with the latter being converted to active recreation such as baseball and soccer fields, volleyball, horseshoe, picnicking, and a youth (ages 2 through 12) playground. A mature evergreen buffer and roadside hardwood buffer have been established on the perimeter of the active recreation areas. The landscape of Kent County’s newest park is intended to provide a public site for recreation and leisure services more typical of regional parks. Along with active recreation, Browns Branch was designed to support the quiet, passive recreation and conservation elements of regional recreation pursuits such as hiking, birding, and personal solitude. A beautiful walking trail has been established which interacts with a uniquely designed wetland boardwalk. This trail terminates in a charming and picturesque public picnic area.

The prominent natural feature in the area is the stream corridor located along the north boundary line of the park land. It is recognized on maps as Browns Branch and is a tributary of the Murderkill River. Along Browns Branch, historic maps show several mill locations including McColleys (McCauleys) Pond and ‘Thistlewoods’ Mill. Browns Branch was named for Daniel Brown who received early patents for land in this area from William Penn in the late 1600s. He also was a Kent County representative from the ‘Three Lower Counties on the Delaware’ to the General Assembly held in 1683.