On Tuesday, June 23, offices will be closed from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for an Employee Appreciation Luncheon and scheduled staff training session. During this period, the Administrative Complex will be inaccessible to the public, and in person services will be unavailable. Regular operations will resume promptly at 3:00 pm. If you plan to conduct business in the Complex, please plan accordingly.
In observance of the Juneteenth holiday, Kent County Levy Court offices will be closed on Friday, June 19. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and serves as a time for reflection, education, and recognition of the ongoing pursuit of equality. Normal operations will resume on Monday, June 22.
To commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Kent County is planting a Liberty Tree at the Veteran's Memorial Park in Dover. The Liberty Tree first emerged in Boston in 1765 in response to the Stamp Act. The elm tree near Boston Common was used as a gathering location for colonists to protest the British taxation and lack of representation of the Colonies.
The last known original Liberty Tree sat on the campus of Saint John's University in Maryland, until Hurricane Floyd destroyed it in 1999. Seeds from a scion of that tree have been used to grow seedlings, and are being planted across the country. In Delaware, each county is planting their own Liberty Tree from seedlings donated by the Sons of the American Revolution.
Kent County Levy Court is planting a Liberty Tree on June 23rd, 2026, at a ceremony next to the Veteran's Memorial Park in Dover. The tree, a Tulip Poplar, has been donated by the Sons of the American Revolution along with a plaque commemorating the history of the Liberty Tree.
The Kent County Levy Court Facilities staff will be charged with maintenance of the tree and grounds.
Liberty Tree Location
The Sons of the American Revolution launched the Liberty Tree Program at their Spring 2023 Leadership meeting. With a goal of planting at least 250 trees before July 4th, 2026. As of early June, the program has already surpassed the 250 tree goal, and have had at least one tree planted in 39 of the 50 States.
The trees are grown from seeds from a scion of the last living Liberty Tree. Retired forester, Francis Zumbrun, has meticulously gathered these seeds and takes them to the Maryland forestry service to sprout into the seedlings used for this project.