Historic Lime Kilns of UCSC: The Continuous Kiln

The finished lime was withdrawn from a small door at the bottom. Courtesy Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District
The continuous lime kiln at UCSC. The finished lime was withdrawn from a small door at the bottom. Photo courtesy Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District.

Near the main entrance to the University of California, Santa Cruz lies the Cowell Lime Works Historic District. We recently wrote about about the regions lime history and how giant stone kilns called pot kilns were the heart of lime-manufacturing operations. In this post we will talk about the continuous kiln that lies on the UCSC campus just up from the main entrance.

Each pot kiln had four doorways at the base. Originally, each doorway was fitted with a heavy iron door to control draft. Photo courtesy of the Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District.
These pot kilns can be seen just to the left of the continuos kiln. Look for both kiln types on the left as you drive up the hill just past the barn theater and the Cook House. Photo courtesy of the Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District.

The continuous kiln is the oldest structure in the historic district that has been positively dated. It was built in 1861 on the eve of the Civil War. Also known as a perpetual kiln, patent kiln, or vertical shaft kiln, it was originally somewhat taller than it is now, and there was a trestle to carry ore cars filled with limerock up to the top.

As the name implies, it operated continuously—theoretically for days, weeks, or even months. There is a cylindrical shaft down through the center of the kiln and permanent fire boxes on each side. As the finished lime was removed from the tiny doorway at the bottom, the load shifted downward, exposing another batch of rock to the heat of the fire. The kiln saved energy by not cooling down and heating up again for each batch (like the pot kilns). It was a technological marvel at the time. Unfortunately, the kiln did not work as well as was hoped due to peculiarities of the local limerock. The coarse-grained stone tended to crumble during the downward movement and clog the kiln.

Diagram showing the path of limerock down through the kiln. Courtesy Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District.
Diagram showing the path of limerock down through the kiln. Courtesy Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of UCSC Lime Kilns Tour by Frank Perry on behalf of The Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

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The content for the AppTour was prepared by The Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District, University of California, Santa Cruz, and is © 2015 by The Friends. Much of the information is from the book, Lime Kiln Legacies: The History of the Lime Industry in Santa Cruz County. The book can be purchased at the Museum of Art and History in person or on-line. It’s also available through Amazon.com.

During this tour you will see that some of the historic buildings have been put to modern uses by the University. Others remain unused but are gradually being restored with private gifts of funding and materials. For more information on how to help, contact the Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District. This UCSC friends group is dedicated to researching, preserving, and teaching about the history of this historic site.

  1. Sources Used

      Lime Kiln Legacies: The History of the Lime Industry in Santa Cruz County, by Frank A. Perry, Robert W. Piwarzyk, Michael D. Luther, Alverda Orlando, Allan Molho, and Sierra L. Perry. Published by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History; 2007.



About The Author

Friends of Cowell Lime Works Historic District

The Friends of Cowell Lime Works Historic District restore and preserve the old lime kilns and historic buildings of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District through fundraising, coordinating volunteers, and soliciting donations of materials. The Friends bring the site's rich history to life through tours and other educational programs.

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4 Comments

    1. Patty Ciesla

      Hmmm, can’t find the website. There’s a whole website devoted to bricks. I think there was a clay quarry and kilns on Steven’s Creek in Cupertino, also the bricks for Mt. Hamilton observatory were made up on the mountain only 1/2 a mile from the dome. I think there were also brick kilns near the Tesla coal mine. Not sure about Santa Cruz County. Wish I could find the link.

      Reply

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