Ice house (building)

In 1780 BCE, a cuneiform tablet recorded a construction project that had never before been undertaken by any king: an icehouse built by Zimri-Lim, the ruler of Mari in northern Mesopotamia. This ancient structure marked the beginning of human attempts to control the natural world's most volatile element, transforming winter's fleeting gift into a year-round resource. While modern listeners might associate ice storage with the invention of the refrigerator, the desire to preserve cold dates back to the dawn of recorded history. In China, archaeologists have uncovered remains of ice pits from the 7th century BCE, with references suggesting these facilities were already in use around 1100 BCE. These early structures were not merely holes in the ground but carefully engineered spaces designed to trap the cold of winter for use during the scorching summer months. The ingenuity required to build such facilities without modern technology highlights the universal human need to preserve food and cool drinks, a need that drove innovation across continents and millennia. Alexander the Great himself stored snow in pits dug for that purpose around 300 BCE, demonstrating that the practice of ice storage was not confined to a single culture but was a widespread phenomenon among ancient civilizations. In Rome, during the 3rd century CE, snow was imported from the mountains, stored in straw-covered pits, and sold from snow shops. The ice that formed in the bottom of these pits sold at a higher price than the snow on top, indicating a sophisticated understanding of value and quality in the ancient ice trade. These early icehouses were the precursors to the elaborate structures that would follow, setting the stage for a global industry that would eventually shape economies and cultures.

Desert Engineers and Persian Domes

By 400 BCE, Persian engineers were constructing yakhchāls in the desert, utilizing a combination of evaporative cooling, radiative cooling, solar chimney, and diurnal heat reservoir techniques to store ice, food, and sometimes make ice. These structures were marvels of ancient engineering, featuring a conical shape above ground with a subterranean storage space, shade walls, and an ice pool. Water was often channeled from a qanat to a yakhchāl, where it would freeze when the conditions were right, creating a self-sustaining system that required no external power source. The most common structures have a conical shape above ground with a subterranean storage space, shade walls, and ice pool. Many that were built centuries ago remain standing, a testament to the durability and effectiveness of their design. The yakhchāl was not just a storage facility but a complex system that harnessed the natural environment to create and maintain ice in the harsh desert climate. This innovation allowed Persian societies to preserve food and cool drinks in regions where the sun was relentless and the heat was oppressive. The use of evaporative cooling and radiative cooling techniques demonstrated a deep understanding of thermodynamics and the properties of water and air. These structures were often built near water sources, such as qanats, which provided a steady supply of water that could be frozen and stored for later use. The yakhchāl was a symbol of Persian ingenuity and a precursor to modern refrigeration technology, showing that the principles of cooling and preservation were understood and applied long before the invention of the electric refrigerator. The survival of many yakhchāls to this day is a reminder of the enduring legacy of ancient engineering and the importance of preserving cultural heritage.

Common questions

When was the first ice house built by Zimri-Lim in Mari?

The first ice house built by Zimri-Lim in Mari was recorded on a cuneiform tablet in 1780 BCE. This ancient structure marked the beginning of human attempts to control the natural world's most volatile element, transforming winter's fleeting gift into a year-round resource.

What techniques did Persian engineers use to build yakhchals in the 400 BCE?

Persian engineers constructed yakhchals in the desert by 400 BCE using evaporative cooling, radiative cooling, solar chimney, and diurnal heat reservoir techniques. These structures featured a conical shape above ground with a subterranean storage space, shade walls, and an ice pool to create a self-sustaining system requiring no external power source.

Who commissioned the first modern ice house in Britain in 1619?

James I commissioned the first modern ice house in 1619 in Greenwich Park and another in Hampton Court in 1625. These structures were commonly brick-lined, domed, and mostly underground, with conical or rounded bottoms to hold melted ice and drains to remove the melt-water.

When did the home ice delivery business virtually disappear in the United States?

The home ice delivery business in the United States declined until it had virtually disappeared by the late 1960s. This decline occurred as home and business refrigeration became more commonplace, making ice houses fall into disuse.

Which company developed the 7-Eleven chain from ice houses in the 1930s?

The Southland Ice Manufacturing Company developed the 7-Eleven chain, first known as U-Tote'm Stores, from ice houses in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio in the 1930s. This company operated ice houses that diversified to sell groceries and cold beer, serving as early convenience stores and local gathering places.

When was the ice house beneath Ardgillan Castle in Ireland rediscovered?

A passage beneath Ardgillan Castle in Co. Dublin, Ireland, was discovered in 1985 to be the ice house that had been known to exist on the grounds. This discovery provided a glimpse into the past and the lives of the people who lived in the castle.

British Brick and Royal Snow

The ice house was introduced to Britain in the 1600s, with James I commissioning the first modern ice house in 1619 in Greenwich Park and another in Hampton Court in 1625, 6. The Hampton Court ice house, also known as the snow conserve, was a brick-lined well that was 15 feet deep and 10 feet wide, covered by a timber building with a thatched roof. In 1660, Charles II had one built in London's upper St James's Park, now known as Green Park. These structures were commonly brick-lined, domed, and mostly underground, with conical or rounded bottoms to hold melted ice and drains to remove the melt-water. The idea for ice houses was brought to Britain by travelers who had seen similar arrangements in Italy, where peasants collected ice from the mountains and used it to keep food fresh inside caves. Ice houses were also known as ice wells, ice pits, or ice mounds, and various types and designs existed depending on the date and builder. During the 18th century, there was an increase in the construction of ice houses, often at large manor houses and their estates. Ice was often imported into the UK from Scandinavia until the 1920s, although from around 1900 the import of ice declined sharply due to the development of factories in the UK where ice was made artificially. Usually, only large mansions had purpose-built buildings to store ice, though there are also commercial examples such as Great Yarmouth's ice house, used to support the town's fishing industry. Many examples of ice houses exist in the UK, some of which have fallen into disrepair. Good examples of 19th-century ice houses can be found at Ashton Court, Bristol; Albrighton, Bridgnorth; Aynhoe Park, Northamptonshire; Deddington Manor, Grendon, Warwickshire; and at Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, Suffolk; Petworth House, Sussex; Danny House, Sussex; Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding; Rufford Abbey, Eglinton Country Park in Scotland; Parlington Hall in Yorkshire and Croxteth Hall Liverpool; Burghley House, Stamford and Moggerhanger Park, Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire. An unusual example of an ice house that was converted from a redundant brick springhead can be found in the former grounds of Norton House, Midsomer Norton, Somerset. The largest surviving ice house in the UK is the Tugnet Ice House in Spey Bay. It was built in 1830, and used to store ice for packing salmon caught in the River Spey before transportation to market in London. During the Second World War, between 1939 and 1945, old ice houses found new uses. Although some were used to store ice and food, others, because they were often underground and well built, became air raid shelters. In 2018, the very large Park Crescent West ice well was discovered in Park Crescent, London. It was created for Samuel Dash in the early 1780s for commercial use before the building of the John Nash crescent was begun in 1806. This ice house is 25 feet deep, and 15 feet wide, and is only a few metres away from the Jubilee line on the London Underground. Originally used for the storage of local ice taken from the River Thames in the winter months, it was taken over in the 1820s by the ice merchant William Leftwich, who used it for storing imported ice from the frozen lakes of Norway. A pair of commercial ice wells has been preserved in London, beneath what is now the London Canal Museum at King's Cross. They are around 30 feet in diameter and were originally 42 feet deep. They were built in 1857 and 1863 by the Swiss entrepreneur Carlo Gatti.

The Ice King and American Fortunes

Ice houses allowed a trade in ice that was a major part of the early economy of the New England region of the United States, which saw fortunes made by people who transported ice in straw-packed ships to the southern states and throughout the Caribbean Sea. Most notable was Frederic Tudor, known as Boston's Ice King, who formed the Tudor Ice Company in the early 19th century. In winter months, ice was chipped from a lake surface and often dragged by sled to the ice house. In summer months, icemen delivered it to residences in ice-wagons; the ice would then be stored in an icebox, which was used much like a modern refrigerator. As home and business refrigeration became more commonplace, ice houses fell into disuse, and the home ice delivery business declined until it had virtually disappeared by the late 1960s. Smaller ice houses, often no more than a sawdust pile covered by a makeshift roof or tarpaulin, continued to be maintained for storing ice for use in local events such as fairs. Today, most ice for daily consumption is made in a home freezer, while bulk ice is manufactured, distributed and sold like other retail commodities. At least two icehouses are still operated traditionally, as a tourist attractions in New England, Concord Monitor, July 2018, From January on the lake to July atop your ice box and DuPage County, Illinois. West Chicago Voice, January 2025, Kline Creek Farm Brings 19th-Century Ice Harvesting Tradition to Life. Frederic Tudor's efforts to create a global ice trade were met with skepticism and ridicule, yet he persisted, eventually succeeding in exporting ice to the Caribbean and even to India. His success was due to a combination of innovation, persistence, and a deep understanding of the market. Tudor's ice was packed in straw to insulate it during transport, and he developed a system of delivery that allowed ice to be sold in distant markets. The ice trade was a major part of the early economy of the New England region, and it helped to establish the United States as a major player in the global ice market. The decline of the ice trade was due to the development of artificial refrigeration, which made ice more readily available and less expensive. However, the legacy of the ice trade lives on in the form of ice houses that are still preserved and used as tourist attractions. The story of Frederic Tudor and the ice trade is a testament to the power of innovation and the importance of persistence in the face of adversity.

Southern Bars and Convenience Stores

In Texas, former ice houses are a cultural tradition. Ice merchants diversified to sell groceries and cold beer, serving as early convenience stores and local gathering places. The widespread 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores in the U.S., first known as U-Tote'm Stores, developed from ice houses operated by ice manufacturers, like the Southland Ice Manufacturing Company, in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio in the 1930s. Southland was not the only company in the Southern United States to develop a convenience-store corporation from an ice business. Munford Inc. of Atlanta began in the early 20th century by vending both ice and coal from mule-drawn wagons, as the Atlantic Ice and Coal Company. By the 1970s, Munford, Inc. was operating a large chain of convenience stores with the name Majik Market (the company was sold in 1988 and filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1990). In some parts of Texas, especially from San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country down to the Mexican border, ice houses functioned as open-air bars, with the word icehouse becoming a colloquialism for an establishment that derives the majority of its income from the sale of cold beer. The distinction between South Texas ice houses and ice houses of other parts of the state and the South has been connected to the Catholicism of the region, a deeper-rooted Mexican culture, and the influence of German immigrants. The transformation of ice houses into convenience stores and bars was a natural evolution of the ice trade, as ice merchants sought to diversify their businesses and meet the changing needs of their customers. The use of ice houses as gathering places and social hubs was a reflection of the importance of community and social interaction in the Southern United States. The legacy of the ice trade lives on in the form of convenience stores and bars that continue to serve as community centers and gathering places. The story of the ice house and its evolution into a convenience store or bar is a testament to the adaptability and resilience of the American people.