Friends of the Cowell Lime Works

Tour District with App

Through a new partnership between the Friends and Mobile Ranger, you can now tour the Cowell Lime Works Historic District via your iPhone or Android mobile device. The tour is illustrated with contemporary and historic photographs and includes updates and new stops not on earlier tours. To download the free tour, visit the Mobile Ranger web site.

Discover the history

Lime was manufactured in the late 1800s and early 1900s on the land that is now home to the University of California, Santa Cruz. The historic district that the Friends of the Lime Works supports includes four lime kilns, the cooperage (where barrels were made), the hay barn, cookhouse, limeworker cabins, Cardiff house, and many other historic structures. Learn more about the history of the land in the district by reading our history page and by watching this video.

Cooperage update

Thanks to a generous anonymous gift, plans have been drawn up for rehabilitation of the historic cooperage building at the campus entrance. This is where barrels were once assembled for shipping lime to market. The plans call for this unique building to be converted into meeting and event space for the campus and greater Santa Cruz community. It is part of a long-term plan to improve the campus entrance and make it more welcoming. We are still in need of major funding to implement the plan. If you would like to help, please contact us at limeworks@ucsc.edu.

We need your help

The Cowell Lime Works Historic District needs your help with monetary donations and donations in kind to help restore the historic structures, or volunteer services to assist in reconstruction and interpretation of district history.

Please consider joining us!

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