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| The south end of the Ice House |
This website corresponds with a trail located at White Memorial Foundation. White Memorial is located off Route 202 between Litchfield and Bantam, CT, USA. The ice house ruins are located on the north shore of Bantam Lake, Connecticut's largest natural lake. You will need a QR Code app installed onto your smartphone or tablet. You can scan the code at each station and view the photos or video describing the ice house operation.
Before the advent of the refrigerator, people kept food from spoiling by placing it in an icebox -- a wooden cabinet with shelves for perishables and a large compartment for a block of ice to keep everything cold. Where did this ice come from? It was cut from lakes and ponds in the winter in regions where the temperatures were below freezing for extended periods of time. Ice blocks were cut by farmers for family use and by crews employed by large commercial concerns. Both occurred at Bantam Lake. The commercial operation was centered on the north shore and involved one of the largest ice block storage facilities in southern New England. The company even had railroad service making the distribution of ice to distant cities possible.
You can visit the website using a smartphone with a QR Code app at each trail station or by clicking the links below.
