Manheim Township near Lancaster in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Belmont Lime kiln
circa 1876
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 12, 2019
1. Belmont Lime kiln Marker
Inscription.
Belmont Lime kiln. circa 1876. These lime kilns were built in the late 19th century for the purpose of making lime. Broken limestone was dumped into the top and heated to approximately 1500F degrees in the chambers or "pots". At this point the stone was calcined and chemically converted to quicklime, which was hauled by wagons to nearby farms and spread on the fields to sweeten the soil, or make it less acidic. This allowed the fertilizer to be more effective. Quicklime was also widely used to make mortar, plaster, and whitewash., The kiln on the left was a perpetual kiln, that could be burned continuously, while the other two would have been batch kilns that were emptied after each burn., David M. Mayer, owner of Belmont Farm, hired Henry Harrison Landis to build the kilns in 1876. Mayer also purchased hickory wood from Landis to fuel the lime burning operation.
These lime kilns were built in the late 19th century for the purpose of making lime. Broken limestone was dumped into the top and heated to approximately 1500F degrees in the chambers or "pots". At this point the stone was calcined and chemically converted to quicklime, which was hauled by wagons to nearby farms and spread on the fields to sweeten the soil, or make it less acidic. This allowed the fertilizer to be more effective. Quicklime was also widely used to make mortar, plaster, and whitewash.
The kiln on the left was a perpetual kiln, that could be burned continuously, while the other two would have been batch kilns that were emptied after each burn.
David M. Mayer, owner of Belmont Farm, hired Henry Harrison Landis to build the kilns in 1876. Mayer also purchased hickory wood from Landis to fuel the lime burning operation.
Erected by Shoppes at Belmont.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1876.
Location. 40° 3.97′ N, 76° 18.632′ W. Marker is near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County. It is in Manheim Township. Marker is on Mayer Place east of Belwyck Boulevard, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map
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. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Mayer Place, Lancaster PA 17601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 12, 2019
2. Belmont Lime kiln Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 13, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 335 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 13, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
