Wood and Ice

This trio of outbuildings stand just behind Roseland Cottage. In the center is the 1846 woodshed. To the right is the 1850s icehouse. Left of the woodshed is the c. 1870 privy. The original cooking stove in the kitchen and the laundry stoves burned wood, as did the fireplaces in each room of the main house. While the latter may not have been used frequently, the kitchen and laundry were most likely constantly busy. Certainly the kitchen stove required cut wood every day. Cutting, stacking, and keeping the kitchen woodshed supplied with sufficient wood was essential work. In late winter, ice was cut from local ponds and stored in the icehouse to supply ice for food storage and preparation. Experienced hands were needed to perform this task.