New signs reveal Sharon's fascinating industrial past

SHARON — For years, motorists have been passing by the stone structure and wondering what the heck it is. Longtime residents and history buffs might know that it’s a historic lime kiln, a relic of the town’s industrial past. But for many passersby, it was nothing more or less than a mystery made of stone.

Now, thanks to the Sharon Historical Society, the structure has signs around it explaining what it is, what it did and why it’s where it is.

The kiln, located on Sharon Station Road between Sharon Ridge and the ballfields, was built around 1875 when Sharon Valley was an industrial center. Businesses such as the Sharon Iron Company, Hotchkiss and Sons, Noyes Malleable Iron Works and the Jewett Manufacturing Company all operated out of the area.

The Northwest Corner was famous for its iron ore, and Sharon, Salisbury and other towns grew up around the kilns, furnaces and mines that supplied and processed that ore.

Artillery shells, mousetraps and adjustable wrenches were just some of the things made and manufactured by these companies.

“In fact, Sharon was once considered the mousetrap capital of the world,� Sharon Historical Society President Ed Kirby said. “It sounds dubious, but rodents were a tremendous problem centuries ago.�

The kiln, which has been maintained through the years and remains intact, is made of marble slabs and measures about 18 square feet around by 20 feet high. It is one of several historic kilns and furnaces in the area — but it has been unmarked until now.

The new signs were paid for with a state Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant of $73,000, a large private donation of $25,000 and several smaller donations.

The signs were installed by Upcountry Services, who did the work free of charge. The text and graphics were designed by society member Richard Paddock, a local historian and a columnist for The Lakeville Journal.

“We at the Historical Society hope that people get a better sense of the town’s history from these signs,� Kirby said. “We will be doing historical tours of the area in the spring, and the lime kiln will be one of the spots on the tour.�

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