Saltpeter Cave
National Register of Historic Places

Saltpeter Cave

Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky
Listed
July 23, 2001
Type
Site
Period
Modern
Ref No.
01000743

About this property

Saltpeter Cave, in Carter Caves State Resort Park near Olive Hill, Kentucky. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. It has also been known as Swingle's Cave and as Swindell's Cave. It is a limestone cave with 3.05 kilometres (1.90 mi) of measured length. It has served as a saltpeter, or niter, mine, by the early 1800s. It has been believed, by local tradition, that niter mined from the cave was used to make gunpowder for the War of 1812, including supplying for the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. The cave entrance is gated by a "limestone block and iron bar structure, resembling a jail cell", which was built in the mid-1900s. The cave is unique in that it is a hibernaculum for the endangered Indiana Bat in the winter months. It is open for cave tours during the summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Location

Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky
38.37655, -83.12379

Categories

HISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALMILITARYENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION
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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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Olive Hill C & O Depot
Civil War
6 mi
Kitchen, Van, House
Industrial
12 mi
Oldtown Covered Bridge
Civil War
13 mi
Haldeman Voting House No. 8
Industrial
14.2 mi
Plank Voting House No. 15
Industrial
15.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Saltpeter Cave listed on the National Register?

Saltpeter Cave was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 23, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Saltpeter Cave?

Saltpeter Cave is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Saltpeter Cave?

The period of significance for Saltpeter Cave is recorded as the modern era.

Can I research the history near Saltpeter Cave?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Saltpeter Cave will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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