Description of Historic Place

Now hidden in the woods and overgrown, this site contains the remnants of a former lime kiln which dates from the 1880s. All that remains is the stone base of the kiln which was built into the side of a hill. The upper portion has been removed.

Heritage Value

The kiln is valued as an example of one of several lime kilns which were constructed in the Three Rivers area for the production of calcining limestone which local farmers used on their fields to reduce the acidity of the soil and improve their production.

Meacham's 1880 Atlas shows this kiln as located on the property of Alexander Campbell. Around 1950, this section of the farm overlooking the Montague River was sold to Dr. and Senator Thomas Grant for a summer property. It is now owned by Zita Boudreault.

Lime kilns were used since ancient times to turn limestone into lime which could then be applied for agricultural purposes to the soil. Limestone was not common to Prince Edward Island, but it was often used in the holds of ships as ballast. When vessels loaded their cargo, the limestone was often removed and left on the wharfs where farmers collected it for a minimal charge.

These large limestone pieces were then broken up and burned in lime kilns to produce the white lime powder which was valuable for their fields. These kilns were usually built near waterways and measured six feet in diameter and nine feet deep with a shale rock bottom. They were carved into the side of a hill and lined with sandstone. A grate was placed at the bottom of the kiln onto which was placed a layer of wood, then a layer of limestone, and then a layer of coal. When this burned at a very high temperature, it produced the lime powder which could be raked out of the kiln through an opening.

Today, all that remains of this kiln are the remnants of the sandstone lining arranged in a circular pattern. The site is important as a reminder of the importance of lime kilns to the history of agriculture in the area.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4310-20/TR17

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the kiln is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the remaining sandstones of the kiln lining arranged in a circular pattern and built into the side of a hill
- the exposed nature of the site which is now overgrown and located in a wooded area