Root Cellar and Ice House

As mentioned previously, eighteenth-century Americans did not have refrigeration, like we do today, so they used other methods to keep their foods cold and fresh.  One of these methods was to have a root cellar, a place to store foods like eggs, butter, cheese, fruits, and vegetables, in a cool space underground.  The red doors you see lead to the original root cellar.

The white-wall structure over the root cellar is a reproduction ice house, built over the original foundation.  Although the Wentzes did not have an ice house, one was first built by the Schultz family in the very early nineteenth century.  The ice house was a place to store ice, taken from local sources of water that froze in the winter.  Cold air and water from the ice helped keep food in the chamber below cool.

For your next stop, cross the grass, and walk on the gravel drive, pause where you can see the sheepfold, and the pasture, on your right.