Punta Gorda Ice Plant (Ice House Pub)

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The rise of the fishing industry in southwest Florida in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was dependent upon ice. Given the centrality of this industry to the economic growth of the region, the Punta Gorda Ice Plant building is one of the most important historic landmarks in the city. Constructed in 1913, this plant produced several tons of ice per day which allowed fishing companies to keep their product fresh for shipment on railroads to northern markets. In this way, the plant also contributed to the success of the railroad industry. Once part of a larger complex that also generated electricity for Punta Gorda, the building is the only structure associated with the fishing industry still standing in the city. The structure was badly damaged by Hurricane Charley, but the building owners decided to restore the historic building which is now home to the Ice House Pub.

Images

Built in 1913, the Punta Gorda Ice Plant is the only building remaining of a large ice-producing facility that was critical to the success of the fishing industry in southwest Florida.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The founder of Punta Gorda, Isaac Trabue, built the city's first ice plant in 1891. Named the Ice Factory Company, it was situated between Olympia and Virginia Avenues on Berry Street and next to a railroad line, which is now a public trail. The factory was powered by steam and produced 15 tons of ice each day that could be sent down a chute to boats in the bay or transferred to trains.

Trabue's plant was the only ice producer in the city until the Punta Gorda Ice and Power Company was established in 1895 at this location. Organized by a group local businessmen, the plant was also powered by steam and located next to a railroad line. It produced ice year round rather than only during the fishing season, which is when the Ice Factory Company operated. This increased competition and other factors compelled Trabue to close his facility in 1897. By 1902, the Punta Gorda Ice and Power Plant was generating 25 tons of ice per day. At some point in the coming years, the plant switched to using electric motors to operate its equipment, which was much more efficient.

The plant was significantly expanded in 1913, which included the construction of the present building, and started to supply electricity to the city. In 1926, the plant was enlarged again after the Florida Power and Light Company acquired it. The company built a new power plant on the property but continued to produce ice in the Punta Gorda Ice Plant. The plant operated until the early 1960s and for a time was the location of Kazwells Furniture Store. In recent years, the former ice plant has been home to the Ice House Pub.

Sources

Cole, Vicki L. "Punta Gorda Ice Plant." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. December 12, 1990. https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_FL/90001798.pdf.

Cole, Vicki L. "Punta Gorda Multiple Property Group." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. December 17, 1990.

Desguin, Frank. "Column: Did you know Punta Gorda had ice in the late 1800s?" Sun Port Charlotte. March 2, 2021. https://www.yoursun.com/charlotte/news/column-did-you-know-punta-gorda-had-ice-in-the-late-1800s/article_71997e5a-7b95-11eb-99d8-6f77a9655b19.html.

Punta Gorda Historical Society Facebook page. Image of the Ice Plant with caption. November 16, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/oldpuntagordainc/photos/a.309851446135736/1163158540805018.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Punta_Gorda_Ice_Plant.jpg

Additional Information

Ice House Pub