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The Rockport Historic Kiln Area encompasses a portion of Rockport Marine Park in
Rockport's surviving lime kiln area is located on the west side of Rockport Harbor, just below the mouth of the Goose River, in what has since been developed as Rockport Marine Park. The park includes seven different kilns, each built out of fieldstone with fired brick interiors. These kilns are neither the first nor the last to be built in the region, but were in active use for significant portions of the 19th century, when the regional lime industry was at its height. Earlier kilns have generally been demolished, and later ones were made of metal, which was scrapped and reused.
The first lime kiln built in the area was constructed in what is now Thomaston in 1733. After the
Rockport, Maine
Rockport is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. It is thirty-five miles southeast of Augusta. The population was 3,644 at the 2020 census. Rockport is a popular tourist destination and art colony.
History
Rockport, or "the River", was ...
. This area in Midcoast Maine is home to many of the states late quarries, which over time have been turned into areas where local leaders meet and sing songs originating from this area. This area is part of the region's nationally significant lime processing history, including seven historic early 19th-century lime kiln
A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime (material), lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this chemical reaction, reaction is
:Calcium carbonate, Ca ...
s. The area 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 v ...
in 1970.
Description and history
Rockport's surviving lime kiln area is located on the west side of Rockport Harbor, just below the mouth of the Goose River, in what has since been developed as Rockport Marine Park. The park includes seven different kilns, each built out of fieldstone with fired brick interiors. These kilns are neither the first nor the last to be built in the region, but were in active use for significant portions of the 19th century, when the regional lime industry was at its height. Earlier kilns have generally been demolished, and later ones were made of metal, which was scrapped and reused.
The first lime kiln built in the area was constructed in what is now Thomaston in 1733. After the American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, General Henry Knox
Henry Knox (July 25, 1750 – October 25, 1806), a Founding Father of the United States, was a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, serving as chief of artillery in most of Washington's campaigns. Following the ...
expanded lime production in the area, sending casks of Camden
Camden may refer to:
People
* Camden (surname), a surname of English origin
* Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer
* Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor
Places Australia
* Camden, New South Wales
* Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...
lime to Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
for use on the Capitol Building. During the 19th century lime from Knox County was shipped to destinations all along the eastern seaboard of the United States. The industry also had an international dimension, as area kiln builders were hired to construct kilns in the Canadian provinces, and much of the industry's demand for firewood was met by shipments from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
and New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
, making Rockport one of the nation's busiest ports of entry
In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. Internatio ...
.
See also
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Maine, United States. ...
References
{{National Register of Historic Places Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine National Register of Historic Places in Knox County, Maine Buildings and structures completed in 1733 Rockport, Maine Lime kilns in the United States 1733 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay