Mount Vernon Icehouse (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

Icehouse
"…in the warm season Ice is the most agreeable thing we can have."
— Martha Washington, February 3, 1793

In the 18th century, ice was a luxury item used for such things as making ice cream and chilling drinks. George Washington's correspondence contains many references to ice and the special structure he built to safeguard the valuable substance. His design consisted of a dry well that was dug into the hillside, encased in wood, and insulated with straw. Washington used dirt and sod to provide further insulation. Inside, a 10-foot long ladder enabled enslaved workers to retrieve ice from the well.

Filling the icehouse was a challenging task. When the Potomac River froze over in the winter, all available enslaved workers were needed to cut as many blocks of ice as possible before temperatures warmed and the river thawed. The blocks were dragged from the riverbank up the hillside and then packed tight into the well.