Charlie Fineran’s Photo of the Week is a beautiful Double Lime Kiln and its Interpretive Plaque located just off Rt. 31 on the ShopRite of Washington’s entrance road.  The historic site is readily accessible to casual visitors and history buffs alike. The well-preserved condition of the kiln, its landscaped setting and dedicated parking spaces makes your journey back to bygone days an easy, enjoyable and educational experience.  Please read the article about the Lime-Kiln Ceremony in the following Flickr album,  it gives an excellent background about the site and gives credit to ALL, the individuals and groups, involved in creating this beautiful and interesting Double Lime Kiln Park.

Lime kilns are a common element of the rural landscape in the limestone-rich regions of New Jersey. Though the evolution of industrial production techniques caused their rapid abandonment during the early 20th century, many of these structures have survived in areas of limestone outcroppings, most prevalent in northwestern New Jersey.

Lime was and is a fundamental ingredient in mortar and plaster, and has been used for a wide variety of building purposes since early human history. Lime has also been used prevalently for agricultural purposes.  Early in the 19th century, Thomas Jefferson promoted “scientific agriculture,” including fertilizing with lime.  While sea shells were harvested for lime in coastal areas, limestone was used throughout the inland and upland regions of New Jersey and other states.

Following the centuries-old practice of lime “burning,” masonry kilns were constructed in the proximity of the end users of the material.  They were often built as embanked structures of native, rubble stone with arched openings at the bottom of the primary wall.   This allowed for ease of loading hopper-like openings at the tops of kilns with quarried limestone, and control of the fire at the base.  Kiln firings burned the carbon dioxide off the stone, producing calcium oxide powder, or “quick lime.” This very caustic and unstable material was then mixed with water to form slaked lime or lime putty.  The slaked lime could then be transported and spread on farm fields, or mixed with aggregates like sand to produce mortars and plasters.

The information about lime kilns was copied and pasted from an excellent article written by Michael Marguilies, President of the Pohatcong History & Heritage Society

I hope these photos may help preserve, protect and educate the public about these important industrial and agricultural sites/sights!  Most are literally right off the roadway, thus your trip may be enhanced by a site visit without even leaving your car!  Now you know what those stone structures are bordering our roadways!!

Please visit my Flickr site for Dedication Ceremony for the Photo of the Week – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157660013590746

Please visit my Flickr site for photo tour of Lime Kilns of NJ, many are located ‘Inside Warren’ – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157669929965625

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran