The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns in Piedmont, Wyoming, are a remnant of a once-extensive charcoal-making industry in southwestern Wyoming. The kilns were built by Moses Byrne around 1869 near the Piedmont Station along the Union Pacific Railroad. The three surviving beehive-shaped kilns were built of local sandstone about 30 feet (9.1 m) in circumference and about 30 feet (9.1 m) high, with 24-inch-thick (61 cm) walls. A granite marker reads:
Piedmont Charcoal Kilns | |
 The three intact kilns and one mostly-destroyed one undergoing restoration in 2010 | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Fort Bridger, Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°13′11″N 110°37′7″W / 41.21972°N 110.61861°W |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1869 |
| Architect | Byrne, Moses |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000894 |
| Added to NRHP | June 03, 1971 |
Charcoal Kilns were built by Moses Byrne, 1869, to supply the pioneer smelters in the Utah Valley.[1][2]
Moses Byrne settled in Piedmont about 1867. A builder, Byrne had built a number of Pony Express stations and stables. Byrne built five kilns at Piedmont in 1869. Most of Byrne's charcoal was shipped to the area around Salt Lake City (the Utah Valley) for use in small smelters and blacksmith shops. Two kilns have since been destroyed. Piedmont itself is a ghost town.[1][2]
The Piedmont Charcoal Kilns were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1] They are managed by the state of Wyoming as Piedmont Charcoal Kilns State Historic Site.[3]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c Barnhart, Bill (June 3, 1971). "Piedmont Charcoal Kilns". National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
- ^ a b "Piedmont Charcoal Kilns". Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
- ^ "Piedmont Charcoal Kilns State Historic Site". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
External links
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- Piedmont Charcoal Kilns State Historic Site Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
- Piedmont Charcoal Kilns Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
- Piedmont Charcoal Kilns State Historic Site at the National Archives and Records Administration