Protecting Limehouse's heritage : Citizens lead the way to restore the past

Protecting Limehouse's heritage

Citizens lead the way to restore the past

The Limehouse Kiln Society was formed in June of 1999 as a concerned citizens' response to the deteriorating state of the limekilns in the Limehouse Conservation Area. The group included residents of Limehouse, the Town of Halton Hills and Credit Valley Conservation plus representation from the Bruce Trail Association and the two local aggregate industries. A grant was obtained from the provincial government which allowed the group to have a master plan of the demised area developed. Fundraising along with a Trillium grant provided the monies required to restore the powder magazine in 2005 (see photos this page). This structure was used for storage of explosives for blasting the limestone necessary for the production of mortar. The kiln society is now in the process of developing a plan for the preservation of the drawkiln which was active around 1870 with the hope of starting the project in 2007. For more information and photos, please check out the Society's website at: www.limehousekilns.ca --By Mary Shier, Limehouse Kiln Society president

Lime production in Limehouse began in the 1840s. The lime mined was important for the early development of Ontario because it could be processed to create a kind of natural cement and was a part of the construction industry of the time. The kilns once used in this process are stone structures that resemble massive, sometimes towering, wells. Limestone would be heated to incredible temperatures in the kilns, then cooled with water and ground into a powder used to create putty, paint, and even grease remover. When lime production ceased in 1917, the kilns and parts of the operation fell into disuse and laid idle for decades, eventually being encompassed the Limehouse Conservation Park. In 1999, a group of citizens formed the Limehouse Kiln Society to help preserve this heritage. Above is work being down to restore the powder house. Photos by Ted Brown