National Register of Historic Places

Olema Lime Kilns

Olema, Marin County, California
Listed
October 7, 1976
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000217

About this property

The Olema Lime Kilns at Point Reyes National Seashore in California were built in 1850 on land leased from Mexican grantee Rafael Garcia by James A. Shorb and William F. Mercer, two San Francisco entrepreneurs. The kilns were reportedly fired only a few times, and have lain abandoned for some 140 years. They were apparently abandoned no later than 1855 after only a few firings, probably due to the poor quality, small limestone deposits and the financial depression of that year. They represent a Gold Rush era effort to establish a lime-producing industry in Marin County, only two years after cession of Alta California to the United States by Mexico. They consist of three long-abandoned, barrel-shaped stone vaults lying in ruins against a hillside on the east side of Olema Creek about five miles south of Olema and about 100 yards west of California State Highway 1.

Location

Olema, Marin County, California
37.98839, -122.74715

Categories

INDUSTRY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Questions about this property

When was Olema Lime Kilns listed on the National Register?

Olema Lime Kilns was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 7, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Olema Lime Kilns?

Olema Lime Kilns is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Olema Lime Kilns?

The period of significance for Olema Lime Kilns is recorded as the industrial era.

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