Five Minute Histories: The American Ice Company Building

Рет қаралды 6,573

3 жыл бұрын

Before electricity, how did people obtain ice? In today’s video we discuss how ice was harvested and then manufactured. Here in Baltimore, ice was made at the American Ice Company Building in West Baltimore! Thanks for watching and we’ll be back later this week with another episode.
This is our series called "Five Minute Histories." Twice a week, we’ll record a short video about a different historic place in Baltimore and post it on our Facebook page and website. For more information or to become a member of Baltimore Heritage, check out: baltimoreheritage.org/support/

Пікірлер: 32

@lwoodt1 3 ай бұрын

Beautiful brick work.

@davehollander6543 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, bought from American Ice for some event (can't remember what) back in the '70s. I was so amazed that there was such a thing as an "ice company"! Also remember buying ice for the ice box at the summer cottage on the Severn back in the '50's.

@michaelbrand8279 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks to John & his colleagues at Baltimore Heritage for their efforts to keep these interesting videos going! :-)

@mareconsugar9065 Жыл бұрын

They stopped manufacturing ice at that facility, but I remember you could still purchase ice there until it burned. We would go there to purchase large quantities of ice for the Bolton Hill band concert.

@carlcarlamos9055 Ай бұрын

If there are any concrete companies nearby that building, check with them. When ambient temperatures get high, they put some ice in the mixers instead of water to keep the temperature of the mix down. Thanks for the videos. Take care.

@baltimoreheritage1006 Ай бұрын

Thanks for this!

@dominicwiker1692 3 жыл бұрын

My grandfather had an ice company in the Boston area. Although his 3 brothers all fought in WW2, he was deemed an essential worker. Right after the war, he turned the company from ice to heating oil. He lived in a 2-flat house with the upper apartment bigger and nicer than the lower one where he lived. Apparently, he climbed enough stairs with a 50-block of ice.

@jds0912 3 жыл бұрын

MTA should buy this and rebuild the MARC station there. I dont think people know that the trip from West Baltimore station (directly across from this building) to Union Station in DC is like 45 minutes.

@troywhite8591 3 жыл бұрын

That's exactly what I expect to happen. Remember that everything is planned years in advance. I envision a high rise residential commercial mix building which are becoming common. It will certainly be very expensive.

@SamhainBe 2 жыл бұрын

My great grandfather was a farmer and an ice cutter up in north central Pennsylvania.

@ameliawade1702 10 ай бұрын

In late 1950’s my Brother and I had a little wagon and we would go to the Icehouse on 24th Street off of Howard Street , and we pick up the largest pieces of ice that had broken off and we took them home to our icebox . Also before we had an iceman that came by our house on horse and wagon and would sell us pieces of ice according to our money . For instance (.15, .25, . 50) for our icebox

@baltimoreheritage1006 10 ай бұрын

Wow! Thanks for sharing this family history.

@sueleonard229 3 жыл бұрын

I remember as a kid there was an icehouse next to the Baltimore County Public Library the old Towson branch. When we were at the library, we'd often stop with our mom or dad and get ice in the summer if our parents were having a gathering such as a cookout with neighbors so we could keep watermelon and such on ice.

@amitisshahbanu5642 Жыл бұрын

I have one of their ice tongs from my Dad. His mom had ice delivered in East Baltimore since the very early 1900s.

@moosestubbings1853 2 жыл бұрын

They sell ice blocks,dry ice,and ice cubes AAA ICE HOUSE on belair rd in baltimore

@karlspencer2026 4 ай бұрын

The American Ice Company also sold fuel oil.

@AL-qi4nh 2 ай бұрын

I’m late to the game but have you done a video about the Baltimore paint company.. it’s on the west side also .. ?

@u686st7 Жыл бұрын

I remember driving past there on a hot summer night and seeing the compressor flywheel turning through the open door.

@baltimoreheritage1006 Жыл бұрын

That's so cool!

@lolaDYM 2 жыл бұрын

My fiancé worked there in 1997 it was still in operation.

@augustajones-stokes7044 2 жыл бұрын

My father would get ice @ American Ice when we went fishing. We would early in the morning heading to Sandy Point.

@Cartergoku Ай бұрын

My pops worked there foe years

@Cartergoku Ай бұрын

It was in business until at least 1998

@baltimoreheritage1006 25 күн бұрын

Cool!

@infonaturel7977 3 жыл бұрын

I used to buy block of ice not too long ago. I would like to know where this building located???

@Taconix 3 жыл бұрын

2100 West Franklin Street

@infonaturel7977 3 жыл бұрын

@@Taconix Oh yess. You mean by the train station.. Thanks

@jessmyapinyon1287 3 жыл бұрын

@@Taconix thank you. I wish Mr. Hopkins would mention the addresses of these architectural treasures in each episode, so that we can get some context, and maybe even visit.

@baltimoreheritage1006 3 жыл бұрын

@@jessmyapinyon1287 Good idea! We'll try to do this. Thank you!

@veronicasanchezmontiel2369 2 жыл бұрын

@@jessmyapinyon1287 You can Google the address. Careful if you visit this specific site, we were there about 2 years ago. We walked right in because it was not secure. Ran into 3 Baltimore police detectives who informed us 2 dead bodies were found earlier that day, we actually saw the police tape and blood stains. We also learned it was not secure because the fire department had to bust the gate down due to a fire inside set by some homeless people. Just to top it off there was a Dodge Caravan and an Acura behind the building half stripped the police said were found to be stolen vehicles and one was involved in an armed robbery. Definitely a rough area I wouldn't recommend visiting and definitely not a "sight seeing" area. Ironically, we did enjoy the visit and the coincidence of on site police made us feel safe walking through the site. The block forms where they actually made the ice are still there so was a lot of the original equipment. The metal stairs were sketchy to walk up but as expected for a burned down abandoned building in West Baltimore.

@johnoh7705 Жыл бұрын

That building has been decaying since the 1980's, when I was still in diapers. Can't believe the city just lets it sit there rotting away and decaying, its an eye sore. The city should use eminent domain to purchase the bldg and just raze it to the ground.