Currie in Pender County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Tar Kiln
| | Moores Creek National Battlefield | |
Photographed by Dave W, June 17, 2023
1. Tar Kiln Marker
This quiet mound of earth gives no inkling of the smoldering, pungent operation that occurred within. Here colonial workers extracted tar from pine logs to waterproof ropes and rigging and to coat and caulk ship's hulls.
Because a tar kiln could be used only once, thousands of them are scattered throughout the coastal forests. People who live and play in these modern woods often have no idea of the mounds' historic function.
This tar kiln is preserved as a reminder of when longleaf pine forests made 18th-century North Carolina a world leader in the production of naval storestar, pitch, and rosin.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Horticulture & Forestry • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 34° 27.457′ N, 78° 6.491′ W. Marker is in Currie, North Carolina, in Pender County. It can be reached from Moores Creek Drive 0.2 miles west of North Carolina Route 210, on the left when traveling west. Located along the Tarheel Trail. Touch for map. Marker
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ghosts of an Industry (a few steps from this marker); Vanishing Longleafs (within shouting distance of this marker); Boxing the Pines (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Changing Landscape (about 300 feet away); Blackwater Highways (about 400 feet away); Trees for a Navy (about 500 feet away); Brave Patriots (about 500 feet away); Moores Creek National Battlefield (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers
Photographed by Dave W, June 17, 2023
2. Tar Kiln Marker
Tar kiln marker and surrounded by low fence in the background.
Also see . . . Moores Creek National Battlefield. National Park Service (Submitted on June 25, 2023.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 24, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 1,013 times since then and 139 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 24, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
