Friends of the Cowell Lime Works Historic District

10/02/2026

Description: A silent film showing the Cowell Ranch before the building of UCSC. Includes aerial shots and vistas of Santa Cruz; also footage of Chancellor McHenry and the architects viewing various building sites. Source: 1 Reel of 1: Film: 16mm Rights: Copyright status unknown. This work may...

09/25/2026

Read about the wharf built in 1914 here:
https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/wordpress.ucsc.edu/dist/0/269/files/2025/03/lkc-2014-fall.pdf

09/17/2026

Cowell Ranch Cook House: photo of buildings before restoration (original photo courtesy of Frank Lazarotti, ca. 1930). From the Santa Cruz Sentinel February 21, 1965: "An equipment shed stood in front of the cook house. A tall pear tree was there, too. A lean-to shelter was on the south end of the cook house. At right are stacked the 8-foot lengths of wood used for burning the limestone. The lime kiln is hidden behind the cooperage (long, low building at the end of the road.) Barrels for the lime were made there."
Photo from the UCSC Special Collections, property of Covello & Covello.

Our Spring/Summer 2012 Newsletter has more about the cookhouse:https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/wordpress.ucsc.edu/dist/0/269/files/2025/03/lkc-2012-spring.pdf

05/19/2026

We had a good turnout at the History Fair. We had a large display of historical photographs and artifacts and were able to answer questions from quite a few visitors. Thanks to Cynthia, Don, Frank Z, John, Rainbow, Eric, and Frank P. for tabling.
Have you read our most recent newsletter? https://limeworks.ucsc.edu/newsletter/

05/14/2026

History Fair this Saturday, May 16, at the London Nelson Center.

https://limeworks.ucsc.edu/news/2026/cowell-lime-works-participating-in-2026-history-fair/

05/12/2026

This Saturday, May 16th, join us at the London Nelson Center for the Santa Cruz County History Fair! Photo from the 2016 History Fair.
https://limeworks.ucsc.edu/news/2026/cowell-lime-works-participating-in-2026-history-fair/

04/28/2026

04/04/2026

Get ready for the Santa Cruz History Fair! Saturday May 16th, 12-4pm, at the London Nelson Center.

03/16/2026

Store Moves To Granary

UCSC’s Bay Tree bookstore has moved temporarily to the Granary building in the Historic District. It is expected that the store will move back to its regular home after renovations there are completed in the fall of 2027.
https://limeworks.ucsc.edu/tour/brochure/historic-structures/

02/03/2026

Watch our online history talk on the IXL Lime Company.

It was 150 years ago that the IXL Lime Company made its first batch of lime in its kilns on Fall Creek near Felton, California. In honor of this anniversary, local historian (and Lime Works board chair) Frank Perry presented an online lecture in November on the history of the company and the importa...