Hidden Monuments: The Alexandria Ice Well

This kind of D.C. heat necessitates a large iced coffee. But ice wasn’t always easy to come by for Washingtonians. It was extremely expensive and was generally reserved for wealthy estate owners.

In the DMV, a lucky few would have small ice pits in their homes where they would store it underground, but that was uncommon. So, in 1792, when local businessman John Wise set about building the “finest lodging facility in Alexandria,” – City Tavern – he knew it needed an ice well.

He linked the well directly to the City Tavern basement. It was 17 feet wide and 11 feet deep and could store as much as 68 tons of ice. This was enough ice to supply the tavern and sell the extra to Alexandria residents for eight cents a pound.

This feature set the City Tavern up as the swankiest digs in town, drawing famous figures, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Not only did the ice let their guests drink cold drinks year-round, they also used it to make ice cream, one of the most sought-after desserts of the time.

Ice harvesting was a long and laborious process, most often done by enslaved labor. The ice would be cut and pulled from the Potomac River during the height of winter and stored in the well. It was then covered in straw and sawdust to keep it cool all summer.

The ice well is a rare example of a commercial well in an urban environment and one of the few still in existence. It underwent major conservation efforts during the 1970’s, and now it is free for visitors to check out on North Royal Street in Alexandria.