The Limekilns

These kilns were erected around 1870 as the lime industry began to flourish in Houston County. John Conroy of Clarksville was the first recorded operator of a limekiln in this vicinity. Skilled stone masons built the kilns of chiseled stone with mortar, and lined the fire chambers with brick. Limestone was loaded at the top, fired by wood to a high temperature, and then pulverized to a fine powder. The product was 99.9 percent pure and was shipped to several cities in the United States for water purification. The lime industry played a large part in the county's economy until the early 1940s, when the high quality limestone was depleted.

Erin, Tennessee · United States