Powell-Trollinger Lime Kilns
Why it's listed
Three stone lime kilns, built into a hillside on a pine forest farm south of Catawba, record a small industry of the post-Civil War South. Dr. Avery M. Powell, a physician, planter and textile manufacturer, began the lime operation soon after 1865. Wagons could drive to circular openings at the top, where layers of cord wood and limestone were loaded. Burned lime was removed through small openings at the base of a stone wall twenty or thirty feet high. An 1870 census showed 600 tons of limestone yielding lime and consuming 1,200 cords of wood a year. Moses Trollinger bought the kilns in 1877, and his widow Susan operated them into the 1890s. One kiln was reported in use as late as 1916. Today the center kiln is intact, one is damaged, and one has been destroyed by people removing stone. The kilns are listed as a rare surviving example of the small local lime-making enterprises that supplied builders before railroads and larger plants changed the trade.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the kilns as a rare, still-impressive survivor of a small local industry typical of the state's nineteenth-century industrial character. They were part of a lime-producing operation started by Dr. Avery M. Powell and later run by Moses Trollinger and his widow. Lime was a key ingredient in plasters and mortars and was mostly used locally.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 74001337, listed November 8, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Catawba, Catawba |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | November 8, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001337 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered; the center kiln is intact, the left one damaged and the right one destroyed by scavengers seeking stone. Listed as unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 35.65327, -81.06409 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 74001337.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18156957
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.