In 1826, Asa Thompson dammed a small brook from natural springs on his property and created Thompson Pond.
Initially, Asa Thompson cut ice for his farm, but soon his neighbors wanted some, so he began a commercial ice business and built an ice house for storage and ice sales. Thompson Pond ice was sought after by local fishermen to transport their shellfish to market. Local residents, yachtsmen, and summer residents used the ice in their ice boxes and to make ice cream. Five generations of the Thompson family and two private contractors ran the ice business until 1985.
From his early childhood, Norman Hamlin remembered Mr. Thompson delivering ice to his family’s summer house in Christmas Cove. Once retired from his work as a naval engineer and professor, Hamlin worked closely with Herbert Thompson to secure nonprofit status and establish the Thompson Ice House Preservation Corporation (TIHPC) and served as the first president until his passing in 2007.
In 1987, Herbert Thompson generously donated the ice house, property, pond and dam to the TIHPC on the condition that it must be preserved and operated as a museum. The Corporation rebuilt the ice house using as much of the old wood as possible, and since 1990, the ice house has been a working museum. Naturally frozen ice is cut and stored each winter (weather permitting) and ice is sold in the summer.
The Amthor Stone Welter Outdoor Museum display board shows photos of the 1964-65 ice cutting taken by Mr. Welter. Welter’s wife, Erica, was instrumental in forming the TIHPC.
The Thompson Ice House was recognized by the National Historic Register in 1974, and is believed to be the only commercial ice house on the register to continue to store naturally harvested ice from a nearby pond in the traditional way.
Thompson Ice House Videos on YouTube:
Thompson's Ice House still harvesting ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV9Kxd7Lunc WMTW-TV 2/26/2018
Keeping Maine’s history of ice harvesting alive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTkUJhQv3_g NEWS Center Maine 2/15/2023
Ice Harvesting | Assignment: Maine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxH7Pxpu0qQ Maine Public. 3/2/2020
Ice Harvesting in Maine is Under Threat with Rising Temps | America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3LyQA1uZD4 PBS. 10/13/2023
Mainers of all ages gather for annual ice harvesting tradition in South Bristol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6t3gkU9tQQ NEWS Center Maine. 2/18/2024
Ice Harvest: Small Town, Big Story | South Bristol, Maine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqxWG55-Mf8 GoUSA TV 12/1/2021
2016 Thompson Pond Ice Harvest in South Bristol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utEwjqJuwp0 The Lincoln County News 2/15/2016
This ice harvest was on thin ice, but a cold weekend helped the show go on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBBdipsKxmM NEWS Center Maine 2/19/2023
Thompson Ice House - Ice Cutting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii_2omBsZx4 dgudas 12/15/2016
Ice Harvest in South Bristol, Maine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl1hSWzCbvo New England Travel 2/12/2014
Ice harvesting! Ice Ice baby!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyCssv04YM8 Jeremy T. Grant 2/19/2019
IceHarvesting-02-19-2012.wmv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-phNH6iaM8 dgudas 12/19/2012
Maine's ice harvest is melting away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmdL_k7guM0 Pattrn 3/20/2024
Ice cream social https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCkx6eo_8J4 NEWS Center Maine 7/4/2022
Ken Lincoln and Ice Harvesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjvmfne1UxM Bill Bradley. 8/21/2024
Thompson Ice House Feb 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqr12xl3EeE robinsflix 2/25/2011