Ice Harvesting on Jamaica Pond (Event Video)

Charlie Rosenberg of the Jamaica Plain presents a talk about this fascinating industry and the over-sized role it played in Jamaica Plain’s economy. By 1880, the Jamaica Pond Ice Company had 22 icehouses on Jamaica Pond with a storage capacity of 30,000 tons. Before the 19th century, ice was a commodity available only to the very rich and to those who could harvest it themselves. That changed as the ice harvesting industry became increasingly mechanized. New technologies allowed more people to enjoy the benefits of ice year-round.

This event was held on January 21, 2023 at 11:00 a.m at the Jamaica Plain Branch Library of the BPL. Click on the triangle below to watch the presentation. 

Video of the event held on Saturday, January 21st, 2023.

During the Q&A a court case is mentioned that established the rights to harvest ice from Great Ponds in the Commonwealth. More info here: https://cite.case.law/mass/89/158/