Taylor Lime Kiln No.1 - Austin, TX
N 30° 18.321 W 097° 46.278
14R E 618145 N 3353260
Taylor Lime Kiln No.1 was the kiln that produced the lime used to make the mortar to build downtown Austin's commercial buildings and infrastructures so it could grow into the metropolitan city it is today.
Waymark Code: WMKGW9
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/13/2014
Views: 4
The remains of the Taylor Lime Kiln No.1 is found adjacent to the parking area of Reed Park, 2600 Pecos Street, Austin, TX. It is now a small community park with a pool and a dog park are near some multipurpose game fields. The kiln was designed and build by Peter C Taylor by 1871 and operated as the primary source for lime within the surrounding region of Austin until the 1890s. Taylor had patented a design for his kiln that gave him the advantage of running it longer than other kilns, which had to cool down more frequently than Taylor's kiln did. Taylor also operated the limestone quarry from which the kiln extracted its lime. This kiln and its supporting quarry could have been the makings of the first industrial park within the early Austin city area.
There is a Texas Historical Marker at the site that reads:
"Taylor Lime Kiln No.1
This kiln was built in 1871 by Scottish immigrant Peter C. Taylor (b.1829). His patented kiln design permitted continuous firing, producing a superior lime that was used to make mortar for late 19th century Austin buildings and had a wide market elsewhere. Limestone from a nearby quarry, now known as Taylor Slough on Scenic Dr., was hauled along a wagon trail and then over a bridge to the top of the kiln. Operated by Taylor until the 1890s, the industrial complex based on this kiln and kiln No.2 (1 Mi, S) was a major factor in Austin's early economy.
(1983)"
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