The Gainesville Marble Belt, consisting of magnesian limestone and dolomite among other minerals, runs from Hall County northeastward into South Carolina, near the Habersham-Stephens County line. Before and after the Civil War, these marbles were burnt for lime at several locations. Remains of a few of these lime kilns can still be found.
Kiln 1 - Billy Walker Lime Kiln, Habersham County
I had originally visited this kiln back in the spring, but the lighting was terrible that day...
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This circular kiln was built into the side of a steep bank.
A road was cut in the bank to the top of the kiln for loading.
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The kiln was originally 19 feet tall and 12 feet in diameter.
It was of the "mixed feed" type.
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While much of the mossy stone structure still stands, the upper section has collapsed within itself.
This view of the draw hole reveals the inside filled with rubble.
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Looking into the circular kiln interior from the top.
It is almost completely filled with rubble.
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A wider view of the kiln
A 1912 report states that lime had been burned here for local use for more than 30 years.
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It's hard to make out much in this image,
but this is part of the adjacent quarried area.
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Lime Kiln 2 - Davidson Creek, Habersham County:
The remains of this kiln present a different picture.
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This kiln was also built into a steep bank, but here,
the front walls have collapsed outward.
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The shape of this kiln appears to have
been more oval-shaped than circular.
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Interior walls of the back section of the kiln, showing the effects of many burnings.
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Unlike the first kiln, I have not discovered much information about this one.
Extensive outcrops of siliceous dolomitic marble were reported
here, and the remains of quarrying can be seen, but none of the
geologic reports mention any kiln or burning at this location...
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Kiln Site 3 - Will Ellard property, Stephens County:
The old mining reports mention three lime kilns in the general area where Habersham and Stephens counties meet. In past years I had located and photographed two of the kilns in the area (above), but only one was at one of those three documented locations. Finding no mention of the second kiln that I'd found, I wondered if there might have actually been four kilns in the area.
I had pinned down the location of what I thought would be the third kiln, at the Will Ellard Mine, two years ago, but it had taken me until 2024 to plan an expedition there. After trekking and wading to the location, it didn't take long to find the mined area. Looking around, I spied a pile of rocks that I thought might be part of a collapsed kiln, but it was too small and turned out to be the old remains of a liquor still. I found plenty of evidence of old mine works, but never saw any sign of a kiln, despite what the old reports said.
Doing further research that night, I discovered that the property where I'd found the "undocumented" kiln (#2 above) several years ago was purchased by the Forest Service in 1938 from W. Ellard. The same owner of the mineworks I had just explored! So now I wonder if the author of the old report mistakenly reported the kiln being at one Ellard mine-works when it was actually at the other Ellard mine...
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Remains of an old still, with a tree fallen squarely on top of the fire box.
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Some of the rusted barrel bands around the old still
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One of the large cuts where limestone was dug out of the hillside.
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A narrow mining cut
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There were several stone lined banks and terraces in the area.
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A channel had been cut from the nearby creek to one of the mining cuts.
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There is (or there was, in the late 1940s) at least one more kiln in the
general vicinity that I haven't been able to find the location of yet...
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