Sheffield, Massachusetts
Sheffield is a town in southern Berkshire County in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Sheffield became one of the first settlements in western Massachusetts in 1726 (Preiss, 1976) and is named after Sir Edmund Sheffield, the second duke of Buckingham (Palmer, 1900). Along with farming, a small industry of mineral extraction was found. The manufacturing of iron was possible due to the rich iron ore deposits and plentiful timber for charcoal. A related demand for lime was likewise supported by the abundant deposits of limestone in the area (Chew, 1988; Dale, 1923).
In addition to the building and construction use of the stone, limestone was burned in kilns yielding powdered lime that exhibits overwhelming versatility for construction, agriculture and other needs (Hockensmith, 1996). Strategically, the kilns have been placed near the mines and quarries where limestone is found in order to minimize transport of the raw material to the place of processing (Dale, 1923; Rolando, 1994).
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