That Pile Of Stones Along The Old Montoursville Road - The Sand Hill Lime Kilns

On the road from Montoursville to Williamsport, with the highway curving around it, sits the remains of the one of the old Sand Hill Limestone Kilns.

Early settlers came to  the  area along Sand Hill, building kilns to capitalize on the limestone found all throughout the Loyalsock area. 

The  Sand Hill Lime Kiln with the Williamsport to Montoursville Trolley Line in front 

Lime kilns were built of stone, with walls several feet thick, and an opening at the base, and at the top.  The limestone would be burnt in the kiln for at least 72 hours, at high temperatures,  to burn off the carbon dioxide. The powdered lime that remained would be scraped off the bottom of the kiln and packed in wooden barrels for shipping.

The Williamsport Sun Gazette, September 1912

Lime was a useful, and versatile, commodity, in high demand. In early log cabins, lime was applied as a whitewash on the inside walls.  Farmers still use it today to improve their fields.  Lime was also used to make mortar, to bind stones and brick together in building, and it was used to make a plaster, which was smoothed over wooden laths for flat walls and ceilings in most 19th century homes and buildings. 

A horse drawn carriage in the area of the  Sand Hill Lime Kiln was used to transport stone.  A conveyor belt with buckets lifted stones to the shaker, where the varying sizes of gravel were separated into 3 different sizes, each dropped into a  wooden bin.  Some of the stone was used to pave the roads.

The Canton Independent, May 26 1899

The building in front of the old Sand Hill Lime Kiln, about 1912.  The kiln was behind the building, the trolley tracks can be seen in front. The furnace building and most of the structures around it were still standing as late as 1959.

Sun Gazette

August 29 1914

The Sand Hill Lime Kiln, with the Thompson House across the road - before the beltway was constructed.

August 26 1915 - Fire!
"A large lime kiln along the Montoursville road below Williamsport was destroyed by fire supposed to have been lightening as it's instigator.  The blaze was conquered  by citizens who organized a bucket brigade and obtained water supply from pools along the road."
The Williamsport Sun Gazette

1981 - Two Kilns Bulldozed, One Remains

"Penn Dot Willing To Salvage Old Kiln"

read the headline in a December 31 1981 issue of the Williamsport Sun Gazette.

But they weren't willing to pay for the restoration themselves, they were looking for a historical group interested in paying for the work to be done.  

"The kiln was one of three left on sand hill from the days when they were used to produce lime by burning stone quarried on the hill."
The two kilns that were bulldozed were "probably in better condition than the one that is fortunate enough to be out the way of the new road".
The article goes on to report that the kiln overlooks the Beltway overpass being built over the new road around Sand Hill.

Another article in the Williamsport Sun Gazette tells us "Long-gone businesses along this short stretch of highway between Loyalsock and Montoursville known as Sand Hill included Hurr’s Dairy, the Skat gas station and the White Horse Inn."  Part of Sand Hill remains today, but a section of it was leveled to relocate and improve the highway.




On The Maps
There were at least three lime kilns situated right in this area of Loyalsock Township, on the road between Montoursville & Williamsport.   Two were torn down when the Beltway was constructed. 

1861 Map Of Lycoming County

Note that there is a kiln listed on each side of the school, and then to the right, the "Harris & Company Kilns" Pink sectino of the map is Williamsport, the Blue is Montoursville.

A wider view of the 1861 map above

Note that there were kilns on the other side of Montoursville as well. 

The 1873 map shows the lime kiln, and then on down, "The Lime Kilns Of Mrs Rithmuls"

On this same map, J.D. Bird is listed as owner of the farm and lime burner

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See more of the  lime kilns in our area, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/03/lime-kilns-in-around-west-branch-of.html

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Sun Gazette

February 10, 1911

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September 7 1943

James V. Curchoe's first employment "as a lad"  (probably 1890s) was a water boy for one of the big lime kilns, located east of the city on the highway leading to Montoursville

Farm Near Lime Kilns  - 

 April 1914

The Thompson Farm Stand

Shown in photos above, across from the Lime Kiln

August 16, 1913

"They were riding double and had been moving at a good speed until they reaches the little hill just above the line kilns and which runs towards Montoursville."

Remnants of a Lime Kiln along the west entrance to Tules Run Development, near Twin Hills in Muncy

Various Unverified Facebook Comments & Posts:
"There were 16 kilns in that area"
Early 1900s - Owned by Sheriff Fred Shale and his son Christian B. Shale.