Evening star., 1949-06-12
Lime Making on Rock Creek

There are aili . few attractive
landmarks remaining alcng Rccl
Greek. including the Cd Mol
house. now occupied by TIE ossea
forSs Of the National xooiosscA
Park. and the old rssrcs or Shoe.
maker NH. which was erected X
Rock Greek National Park In 1901
and the two small buildings In
1910, sand inscribed with the 1T
ters B, !. r. meaning Betty and
Isaac Pesrce, according 10 the lats
LOUIS p. Shoemaker.
Isaac Pe!roe. VITO. with his scr
Aoner c. Pelrce. built this old mil
was born in Chester County. Pa
April 0. lT5s. and came 10 what /.
nov the District OF Columbia dur
ing the period OF the American
Revolution. His wife Betsy. the
daughter Of Aoner Cloud. vas
born In 1851. The latter was q
miller and operated what Ii gen
orally called Edes Mil. for many
years located on the Potomac
south OF the Chain Bridge.
Isaac Petrce was In this vicinity
before the District vas formed "a
shown by the census Of Maryland
for 1870. where his name appears
In Montgomery County. and where
he Is recorded as having q wife
one son over le years Of age. two
sons under ls and three daugh-
ters.
Isaac Peirce made his first pur-
chase Of $50 acres along Rock
Greek in December. i7s4, the prop
erty being bought from William
DeakinS, a prominent merchant oi
GEORGETOWN and confidhnt o.
George Washington,
Friend of Washington
William Deakins. 81. was a pa
triot in the American Revolution
and attended q meeting at Upper
Marlboro. Nd. in November. l77+
as q member OF q committee oi
whom John Addison and Thomas
Cant. tr.. were also members. He
Is recorded. two years later. a
being . justice OF the peace for
Montgomery County. created In
l77e. It is probable he died prior
to 1870, when the census OF Mary
land was taken. for his name does
not appear in the enumeration OF
that date.
william Deakins. jr.. seems 10
have been the more prominent
During the Revolutionary War he
is found reviewing and passing
troops for that conflict. Later.
when 1t was decided to place the
Capital OF the Nation on Mary
land and Virginia territory. Pres
ident Washington turned to Col
Deakins and Benjamin Stoddert
for assistance. and on February
"a. 1871. he wrote:
Il enclose you several proclama-
tons expressing the lines which
are TO bound the Distrioe OF 10
miles square for the permanent
seat OF the General Government,
which I wish you to have made
public with all expedition. and in
the most general and extensive
manner that you can TO prevent
any kind Of speculation. Let them
be published in the newspaper
put up in public places and other
wise so disposed as TO answer my
object as fully as possible.
Many years later, In 1890, the
Government purchased the park
land at a cost OF over q million
dollars. half OF which Congress
required the taxpayers Of the Dis
trict to pay. Notwithstanding the
fact that the wording OF the act
declared 1t to be Q national park
for the benefit OF the people Of the
United States.
Old Lime Kilns
Somewhat to the north Of the
Peirce Min stands the Joaquin
Miller Cabin. occupied by the Poet
of the Sierras" during his resi-
dence In Washington. Another
interesting thing in the Rock Greek
parkway. Just above X street. has
frequently aroused the curiosity OF
q great many people and. II It were
not for the information given on
the marker erected near these
curious structures there are I'M
doubtedly some who would attrib-
ute them to prehistoric workman
ship. But they are not. for they
are simply lime kilns. built here
many years ago for the manufac-
ture Of lime. an industry extern
sively carried on near the mouth
Of Rock Greek at least since 1888
for we are told In Sessford's An
nals-in referring to the improve
ments made in the first ward that
year that some kilns have been
built on q large and permanent
scale. for the making Of lime. from
stone brought down the canal"
The making Of lime In the Dis
trict OF Columbia must have be-
Those Were the