In 1895, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Peck Clarke, formerly of Connecticut, purchased over 800 acres in Transylvania County on which they built their mountain estate. On this site, their daughter Nancy Clarke Carrier and her husband Henry established Rockbrook Camp for Girls in 1921. One of the more interesting facts about Mrs. Carrier is that she was the great granddaughter of PT Barnum, of circus fame. Many circus artifacts were on display in the Carrier House, and thrilled many a camper, such as the chair of Tom Thumb and many lovely home furnishings.
This circus history also has a direct link to the building known as Goodwill. The circus winter residence was at the Goodwill Plantation, located near Columbia, SC. When Nancy Carrier decided to establish a summer camp on her property in Brevard, she moved two 200-year-old hand-hewn chestnut log cabins to the property. She restored the cabins to their original beauty and made them part of the center of camp life. The buildings were named “Goodwill” after the SC plantaion and Curosty (the mountain word for crafts). Both are still in use by the campers and remain a part of Rockbrook’s proud history.
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