Hurstville Historic District
History
Hurstville was an industrial complex and a company town. It was a major lime supplier in the state of Iowa for masonry building and bridge construction in the Midwest. Alfred Hurst built the first kiln in 1871, and the other three followed soon after. The whole operation grew to include 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) and 50 employees. The property included timber, which was used in the kilns. Hurst organized the Maquoketa and Hurstville Railroad in 1888 to ship the burned lime instead of hauling it by wagon. The limestone was quarried to the east of the kilns across the North Fork of the Maquoketa River. It was brought to the kilns by way of a narrow-gauge railway. A bridge, which collapsed into the river in the 1970s, was built over the river around 1900. By the 1920s the increased use of Portland cement by the construction industry affected the lime industry. The last time all four kilns were used at the same time was 1920, and the kilns were shut down in 1930 when William Hurst, Alfred's brother, died.
The Hurstville Land and Development Company bought the town and 500 acres (200 ha) of land in 1979. The kilns were restored by the Jackson County Historical Society in the 1980s. The Jackson County Conservation Board operates an interpretive center near the kilns. It is part of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ S.J. Klingensmith. "Hurstville Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved June 18, 2016. with 25 photos from 1979
- ^ "Hurstville Lime Kilns". mycountyparks.com. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ "Hurstville Lime Kilns". Jackson County Historical Society. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
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