Ice House

This reconstructed ice house provided cold storage for the farm throughout the summer. During the winter, ice blocks cut from frozen ponds, creeks, and rivers were transported to the property by wagons and then lowered eighteen feet into the icehouse using a pulley system. Blocks were separated by two feet of straw, sawdust, or corn shucks for insulation. Blocks of ice could be removed as needed throughout the year, or pieces could be chipped off in lieu of removing an entire block. Enslaved individuals collected the ice from the ice house. The ice was used for food storage. If properly stored and insulated, ice was known to last through the winter into the late fall of the next year. If you peek into the ice house these days, you can see how dark and cool it would have been, even during the heat of summer.