Built as part of the Harris Farm in the 1800s, this lime kiln reflects a long tradition of lime production in the Frederick area, where the landowner also operated several other kilns. Lime had been used since ancient times for cement and mortar, and from the 13th century it also became valuable as fertilizer. Lime kilns developed into a standard egg-cup shaped collection pit with a grate at the bottom called the kiln eye and an access hole leading outside beneath it. To operate the kiln, about 18 inches of coal and then 18 inches of limestone were layered repeatedly to the top, with the limestone first crushed by hand into 1-2 square-inch fragments. The bottom coal layer was lit, the limestone was burned, and the resulting quicklime fell through the grate to be raked out while coal dust was removed and discarded. Kilns like this were often called lazy kilns because they served a farmer's personal use and needed minimal attention, though their size was limited because too much weight from upper layers of limestone could crush the burned lime below and ruin the batch. Large and small lime kilns were important to local farming and other industries because abundant local limestone made lime available for fertilizer and for reducing odors from sewage and decaying matter. Though no longer in use, this kiln remains a reminder of Frederick County's agricultural and industrial past.