The Ice House

The Ice House is one of the original buildings on the farm that the Realy Family built after they moved here in 1844. It was filled to the rafters with ice blocks from nearby Markle Lake or from the Waterloo Mill Pond. They measured as much as 18 inches by 20 inches and were almost 18 inches thick. The blocks were layered in the building with sawdust to keep them from freezing together and for insulation. The walls were also filled with sawdust and straw for insulation .