Updates
Historian Randy Brown discovered this advertisement in The California Star, a San Francisco newspaper, dated March 18, 1848: “Lime! Lime! 20 BBLs, Santa Cruz Lime, of superior quality, at the New York Store.” This confirms that lime was not only being manufactured commercially here in the late 1840s, but also being exported to San Francisco. “BBLs” is an abbreviation for barrels.
Work has begun on rehabilitating one of the buildings within the Cowell Lime Works Historic District at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The building is a small storage shed, thought to date from the 1860s. Under the direction of architectural historian Corri Jimenez, the building was thoroughly measured and recorded according to HABS (Historic American Building Survey) guidelines. Even the location and type of each nail was plotted. Several student volunteers helped with the documentation, gaining valuable hands-on experience. The building will be dismantled, a new foundation and frame built, and then reassembled. As much as possible of the original wood will be reused. An entirely new roof will be needed, however, as the old one had rotted and partly collapsed. The University is using this project as practice before tackling some of the more significant historic buildings nearby, which are also in a severe state of disrepair. Funding to continue this important work is badly needed, and the University is actively seeking donations. Anyone who would like to help is urged to contact Sally Morgan, Senior Environmental Planner, at (831) 459-1254.
The State Historical Resources Commission granted approval for listing on the National Register of Historic Places the historic buildings at the UC Santa Cruz main entrance. The site, now known as the Cowell Lime Works Historic District, encompasses many of the structures described in chapter 10 of Lime Kiln Legacies, including the cooperage and four lime kilns. More information can be found here.
February 3, 2007.
Fire damaged the former home of lime manufacturer Eben Bennett. The house is located at 3rd and Main Streets on Beach Hill in Santa Cruz and was built by Bennett in 1871. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Feb. 5 and Feb. 6, 2007) the fire did $175,000 worth of damage, mostly to the second floor interior. The fire was caused by a water heater.
