Shaker Village Ice House Interior Wall Framing Layers Royalty-Free Stock Photography

The preservation of food was extremely important for agricultural societies in the nineteenth century. Salt-curing, smoking meats, and processing fruits and vegetables into preserves and pickles were common methods of keeping food for the tough winter months. Ice also played an important role in the preparation and preservation of dairy products before modern refrigeration. The Hancock Shakers harvested ice from their reservoir and nearby Richmond Pond. This ice was sawed into blocks called cakes, grappled with ice tongs, and hauled to a storage building on a sled pulled by oxen or draft horses. By building the ice house into a hillside the Shakers took advantage of natural insulation provided by the earth. Cool air from the ice chambers vents directly into food storage rooms, and a cupola on the roof allows warm air to escape. The south facade of the building is small, to minimize the negative impact of the sun’s heat on the building, while the larger north side remains in shadow, and thus cooler on hot summer days. Also note the double and triple hung doors throughout the entire structure, and the triple-glazed windows on the lower level. The Shakers purposefully incorporated all of these architectural features to provide more efficient cooling capabilities and insulation.