Dozens of spectators and volunteers, from infants to the elderly, locals to visitors from Massachusetts and Vermont, flocked to the annual ice harvest at the Thompson Ice House in South Bristol Feb. 20.
Sun and brisk temperatures greeted attendees bundled in layers of flannel and wool.
Visitors from afar included Kristina Ames, from Canton, Mass. Ames, with her family, including two young sons quickly drafted to man ice picks, travels to the area every year to stay with friends in Damariscotta and attend the event.
Ken Lincoln, of South Bristol, a contractor and President of the Thompson Ice House Preservation Corporation, with fellow South Bristol contractor Plummer Excavation, completed approximately $28,000 in repairs to the historic building since last year’s harvest.
The repairs include a new roof, a new ramp to hoist the ice, with the aid of a pulley system, into storage and repairs to the pond’s dam.
Lincoln declared the facility to be in “good shape” for the upcoming season. The Thompson Ice House will host its other, equally popular annual event – an ice cream social – Sun., July 3.
