| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
1999- "Part of the multiple resource thematic nomination for the "Lime Kilns of Waukesha County," the Sussex lime kiln was erected ca. 1890 (Radmer 1980:7 -5). As many as nine lime kilns operated in the vicinity of Sussex from as early as 1840. Although most kilns were abandoned, and eventually deteriorated over time, six kilns and a dynamite shack burned in 1916 at the nearby Mammoth Canning Company. The kiln located in Section 23 is currently the only extant lime kiln in Sussex. Constructed by the Wisconsin Lime and Stone Company prior to 1891, the kiln was abandoned in 1910 when the C & NW Railroad was built on reclaimed quarry land north of the kiln (Radmer 1980:7-5).
Originally an estimated 35 feet tall, the rectangular shaft of the lime kiln contains two rectangular burning shafts within its thick battered walls (Radmer 1980:7-5). The exterior walls of the kiln are constructed of heavily mortared limestone, lined with shafts of refractory brick and granite. The rounded-comers of the shafts facilitated the uninterrupted movement of heated, sticky pieces of limestone through the kiln (Radmer 1980:7-5). Four firing eyes, two each on the east and west elevations, were originally covered with cast iron doors. A pair of arched draw holes, where the finished lime was drawn from the kiln, are located at the base of the kiln's west facade. One draw hole is placed at the base of each shaft.
During its 20-year life span, the Sussex kiln was operated continuously in all seasons. An inclined wooden skid ran from the ground to the top of the kiln, providing a means to move raw limestoneto the top of the kiln in carts (Radmer 1980:7-6). Although the skid is no longer extant, metal and wood beams spaced across the kiln walls suggest the path it once followed.
Associated with the lime kiln is a small stone structure. Believed originally to hold dynamite, the structure is reputed to have later served as a storage facility for oil (Fred Keller, personal communication 2002). Currently the storage shed is almost totally obscured from view by heavily overgrown brush. Both the kiln and associated storage structure retain sufficient integrity to illustrate the construction and workings of a typical vertical shaft lime kiln and, therefore, they remain eligible for listing on the NRHP."
- "Wis Gas Co Lateral Line Project- Jefferson, Waukesha and Washington Counties", WisDOT #6650-CG-194, Prepared by CCRG (1999). |
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