Hurstville Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located north of

Maquoketa, Iowa Maquoketa () is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. Located on the Maquoketa River, it is the county seat of Jackson County. U.S. Route 61 adjoins the city, which therefore hosts traffic between Dubuque and the Quad Cities. Iowa Highw ...

, United States. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1979. At the time of its nomination it included three areas: the former lime manufacturing works, a farmstead, and the townsite. with All that remains are the four kilns, and an old warehouse. Both the townsite, which was across the road and to the southwest, and the farmstead, which was behind the kilns to the south, are gone. Also gone are the remaining company buildings, with the exception of the old warehouse, which were across the road to the west. The houses in the townsite were side-

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

cottages. Many lacked indoor plumbing into the 1970s and were vacant. The farmstead included 20 structures devoted to domestic or agricultural use. Two large barns were the most notable structures. The farm served the needs of the town. The most significant structures in the district were the lime kilns.

History

Hurstville was an industrial complex and a company town. It was a major

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

supplier in the state of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

for masonry building and bridge construction in the Midwest. Alfred Hurst built the first kiln in 1871, and the other three followed soon after. The whole operation grew to include and 50 employees. The property included timber, which was used in the kilns. Hurst organized the Maquoketa and Hurstville Railroad in 1888 to ship the burned lime instead of hauling it by wagon. The

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

was quarried to the east of the kilns across the North Fork of the Maquoketa River. It was brought to the kilns by way of a narrow-gauge railway. A bridge, which collapsed into the river in the 1970s, was built over the river around 1900. By the 1920s the increased use of

Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th ...

by the construction industry affected the lime industry. The last time all four kilns were used at the same time was 1920, and the kilns were shut down in 1930 when William Hurst, Alfred's son, died. The Hurstville Land and Development Company bought the town and of land in 1979. The kilns were restored by the Jackson County Historical Society in the 1980s. The Jackson County Conservation Board operates an interpretive center near the kilns. It is part of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area.

References

{{NRHP in Jackson County, Iowa Industrial buildings completed in 1871 Buildings and structures in Jackson County, Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Jackson County, Iowa Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Historic districts in Jackson County, Iowa Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Lime kilns in the United States 1871 establishments in Iowa