Ice House

Farmhands cut blocks of ice from a nearby mill pond, packed them in sawdust, and stored them in this building. Ice was vital for keeping the evening's milk and cream fresh for summer morning deliveries. Even after automobiles became available, horse-drawn sleighs were the easiest way to haul ice over the deep snow. Around 1895, Maine was exporting a million tons of ice per year. Operations near the Kennebec, Androscoggin, and Penobscot rivers shipped ice to southern states and foreign ports, but ice cut here was used only on the farm. Ice stored in this building likely supplied iceboxes in the farmhouse, the homes of farm staff, and the creamery. The estimated capacity was 80 tons, ice could be stored for 12 months without melting, the distance from the mill pond to the ice house was 3/4 mile, and 1916 was the last year it was used.

Wells, Maine · United States