Lime kilns near and far

When you are new to the UCSC campus, finding a lime kiln in the forest is a rite of passage, a mysterious surprise. What the hell? Is that a castle? 

There is a sub-set of Santa Cruz local historians who love lime kilns. Those historians wrote a book about ten years ago, Lime Kiln Legacies. They really got into it. Here's the table of contents.

1. Introduction—Frank A. Perry, Robert W. Piwarzyk, Michael D. Luther, Alverda Orlando, Allan Molho, and Sierra L. PerrySidebar: Uses of Lime 

2. Lime and Geology—Frank A. PerryThe origin and distribution of the rock used to make lime and the history of the terms limestone, marble, and limerock.  Sidebar: The Pacific Limestone Products Company

3. In Search of Spanish Lime Kilns—Frank A. PerryThe use of lime at Mission Santa Cruz and the Villa de Branciforte and the possible locations of kilns used by the Spanish. 

4. Tales Told by Kilns—Frank A. Perry and Robert W. PiwarzykAn analysis of kiln designs with descriptions of the various types of walls, doorways, linings, buttresses, etc. 

5. Steps in Making Lime—Frank A. Perry and Robert W. PiwarzykA step by step account of how lime was made, from quarrying rock to loading lime in barrels.Sidebar: Forests Fuel an IndustrySidebar: Making Mortar and Plaster 

6. Lime Companies—Frank A. Perry and Robert W. Piwarzyk, with a history of the Santa Cruz Lime Company by Alverda OrlandoA short history of each of the 25 lime companies, including the years of operation, location, facilities, and biographical sketches of the owners.Sidebar: A Day at the KilnsSidebar: Lime, Cement, and ConcreteSidebar: Lime Production by the Holmes Lime Company, 1908 

7. People and Lime—Frank A. Perry and Sierra L. PerryA discussion of lime worker duties, wages, unions, housing, accidents, and ethnicity.Sidebar: Whitewash 

8. Getting the Lime to Market—Frank A. Perry, Robert W. Piwarzyk, and Allan MolhoThe history of the wagon roads, landings, ships, and railroads used to haul the lime to market.Sidebar: Trial Trip of the Santa Cruz 

9. A Year in the Life of the Lime Industry—Michael D. Luther and Frank A. PerryExcerpts from the Santa Cruz Surf newspaper for the year 1887 detailing lime industry activities and shipping. 

10. Walking Tour of a Lime Manufacturing SiteWalking tour and map of the historic kilns and buildings on the University of California, Santa Cruz, campus. 

11. Lime and Place Names—Frank A. Perry and Robert W. PiwarzykThe origin of over fifty Santa Cruz County place names with links to lime industry people, products, events, and activities.

When that book came out I bought it, but I don't remember reading it. Sure, the lime industry is crucial and deserving of study, but it wasn't as interesting to me as other topics, like Bohemians, Chinese Restaurants or Bowling Alleys. 

Most people see their first lime kiln at the entrance to the UCSC campus, which is now designated as the Historic Lime Works District. Lime kilns are a big deal, and their value has preserved the history of the campus site which is unique among all the universities of the world. 

I found this video of an archeologist talking about research into this industry, and what life was like for the men who worked the kilns. In a word: hard. 

Many of the men who worked at the lime stone works in Santa Cruz were Irish immigrants. Perhaps they brought their skill at burning lime from Ireland? 


The neighborhood I live in now is peaceful, where sheep and cows graze, and tourists travel from far away to enjoy Marble Hill beach. But a hundred and forty years ago, just like in Santa Cruz, it was a noisy, smoky, lime works district. 

Here's a map of my neighborhood from the 1830s. See the many areas labeled "L. S. Quarry?" 

Just like in Santa Cruz, a limestone quarry means there will be kilns nearby. So far, I've found four of them.

The first three are modest and roughly built.

The fourth one I found while walking through a little wood, and it surprised me just like finding my first kiln in a redwood forest long ago.

This one is tall and well built, with a dressed stone arch. 

Enjoy my skilled camera work: 

This kiln is in a forest because just like in Santa Cruz, after the lime works closed, a forest grew in its place. 

Not surprisingly, now that I know how Irish lime kilns are, I'm so much more interested in them, and wish I had my library with me so I could read Lime Kiln Legacies.