Ice Harvest at the Wayside Inn

Bring the whole family for this old fashioned demonstration event and see what "refrigeration" meant in the 19th century. Watch the events unfold from shore next to the warming fire, or try your hand at any number of steps needed to bring home the harvest! Weather depending. Call ahead advised. Reservations not required.

Historic footnote: Before the 19th century, ice was a commodity available only to the very rich and to those who could harvest it themselves. In North America, ice harvested from rivers and ponds was originally stored in underground vaults similar to root cellars until, in 1825, the idea of erecting insulated buildings above ground to store ice was conceived. These wood buildings were double-walled and insulated with straw or sawdust. A properly constructed and insulated ice house was able to preserve ice throughout the summer and into the following ice harvesting season. Hauling ice into storage was a slow and laborious process that required the use of horses, heavy ropes and pulleys.