Worth a Pit Stop: Conklin Lime Quarry

Limestone, bedrock of historical significance, evidenced by prominent landmarks such as the Great Pyramid and medieval churches and castles of Europe, is a sedimentary rock of substance. Largely composed of the mineral, calcite (calcium carbonate), limestone is a popular building material since it is hard and durable.

Limerock, a village and historic district in the town of Lincoln, Rhode Island, was named after the limestone quarry in the area. The lime kilns were largely constructed in 1750 and added to the National Historic Register in 1984.

Having grown up in the village of Limerock, I can attest that so often we overlook natural treasures in our own backyard. Road warriors hailing from Rhode Island or elsewhere, looking for stepping stones off the beaten path, should make a pit stop at the Conklin Limestone Company.

Located on 25 Wilbur Road, off of Rte. 146, in Lincoln, feast your eyes on plenty of white substance to get “stoned” on the architectural marble and marvels throughout the historic village of Limerock. An irregular pattern along Smith, Wilbur, and Great Rds., along with Old Louisquisset Pike, offer 2,480 acres, 21 buildings and three structures worth exploring.

Since The Conklin Limestone Company birthed the village of Limerock, an historical tour of substance begins at the site of the oldest working quarry in the United States. Operations started in the 1660s when Thomas Harris and Gregory Dexter began mining limestone. Current owner is Fred Conklin, great grandson of the company founder, who purchased the quarry in 1946 with the expectation the land would yield limestone for 20 years. Fifty years or so later, Fred states on his website, “The quarry still produces the whitest stone in the country; hard, pure white and marble.”

Though the area has yielded some of the finest limestone in the country for more than 300 years as the oldest working quarry in the country, the company focus has undergone a dramatic change. Not just a center to purchase limestone for lawns, gardens, and farmland, Conklin Limestone has evolved into a “yardscaping center” for acquiring products to build retaining walls, patios, and walkways. They also sell mulch, filter fabrics, burlap, gardening tools, lawn ornaments, fountains, birdbaths. In addition—pool and water filter sand, sandbox sand, stone dust, colored stone, water garden boulders, grass seed, fertilizers, edging, spreaders, and diamond blades for cutting stone and concrete abound.

Leaving no stone unturned, this historical tour of substance veers to Limerock’s “stone enders.” Due to the abundance of limestone in the area, many houses had massive end chimneys. This architectural marvel is a distinct Rhode Island style best exemplified by two national historic landmarks:

Eleazer Arnold House (487 Great Road) –
built in 1693:

Though open to the public only two afternoons per year, one can appreciate its architecture by riding past the edifice. The house is a relatively large “stone ender,” two stories high, four rooms on each floor, leaded glass windows, a lean-to, exposed fieldstone end walls, and a plastered chimney.

Valentine Whitman House (1147 Great Road) – built in the 17th century:

Whitman was a friend of Roger Williams, RI’s founding father. The first town meeting of Smithfield, which included the town of Lincoln until 1871, was held inside this house in 1730.

Road scholars may want to detour to Lincoln Woods State Park (Breakneck Hill Road) - nestled between Routes 146 and 123, and easily accessible via Great Road:

A rugged, hilly, tree-lined upland, strewn with giant boulders, the park had been fields with springs along a stream for two centuries before it was set aside as a nature reserve. Open year round from sunrise to sunset, you can get a good workout hiking its rugged trails.

The Conklin Lime Quarry – Lincoln, Rhode Island’s oldest working quarry in the United States, is a hidden natural treasure worth a pit stop off the beaten path. Get “stoned” on lime, the white substance of architectural marble. While on a high, venture along Great Road, leaving no stone unturned as you veer past “stone enders,” basking in the historical limelight of Limerock.