The Gadsby's Tavern Ice Well

The Gadsby's Tavern Ice Well. . , In 1793, the Alexandria Common Council granted permission for John Wise to build an icehouse underneath the corner of Royal and Cameron Streets as part of his construction of the new City Tavern., This brick-lined ice well is a unique architectural feature, much larger than most ice wells. The well could store up to 62 tons of ice, enough ice to supply the tavern and even the citizens of Alexandria., Blocks of ice, harvested from the Potomac River, were lowered through a hatch at street level. The blocks were pounded into one large ice mass and covered with straw to limit melting., John Gadsby who leased the tavern from John Wise in 1796, capitalized on ice as an amenity to the tavern, selling it to the public for eight cents per pound in 1805.,

Ice for Sale.. Perſons may be ſupplied with ice, at eight cents per pound, on application to John Gadsby, June 20

, [Additional plaques on the main sidewalk:] , You are standing on the location of the original ice well hatch, where hatch, where blocks of ice harvested from the Potomac River were lowered, stored, and used by the tavern., Subterranean ice well constructed in 1793 for John Wise's City Tavern., A brick-lined tunnel led from the tavern's basement to the ice well, allowing ice, chilling beverages, and perishable food items to be readily retrieved., These pavers mark the perimeter of the ice well , up to 17 feet 3 inches in diameter at its largest point.