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+1 978-283-0174
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| 104 Commercial St, Gloucester, MA, 01930 | |
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0.3 miShepard and Glenn
0.5 miMt. Vernon and North
0.8 miAndover and Beacon
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| Private Lot |
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Specialties
Cape Pond Ice is a local ice company that was started in 1848. Although originally fishing vessels were our main customers, today we provide ice to many different markets. Our Gloucester facility carries our entire line of Cape Pond Ice merchandise made famous in the movie «The Perfect Storm».
Our icehouse tours are offered during the summer months (June, July, & August) Monday — Friday at 11am & 2pm and Sundays at 11am. The tours are about 45 minutes long and focus on the history of the ice industry, the history of the company, and our facility today. Don’t forget your sweatshirt, our icehouse is chilled to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Reservations are recommended, call the office for more details.
History
Established in 1848.
Cape Pond Ice was started in Gloucester, MA in 1848. Originally the company harvested all ice out of the ponds during the cold New England Winters. The business was started to provide ice to the many fishing boats in Gloucester at the time.
In the 1940s the company moved to its current location on the Fort Wharf in Gloucester, MA.
Today the company serves a variety of different markets ranging from fishing boats to concrete ice, sculptures, and bagged ice.
In addition, Cape Pond Ice serves as a tourist attraction selling T-Shirts and offering daily tours in the summer.
Meet the Business Owner
Scott M.
Business Owner
Scott Memhard purchased Cape Pond Ice, the historic Gloucester ice house, in 1983. He met his wife, Martha Oaks, at the Cape Ann Museum while researching Cape Pond Ice.
«Cape Pond Ice is a real-life, modern business with an historic identity,» he continues. «During the height of Gloucester’s fishing industry we sold 45,000 to 50,000 tons of ice a year and we didn’t own a truck.»
Today they own 12 trucks. Ice sold to fishermen now accounts for only 36% of their business. New products include bags to consumers, large blocks (hard to find these days), ice sculptures, ice shot luges, sculpted ice beer steins and even ice and snow special effects for movie sets and locations.
But let’s not forget the merchandise. Cape Pond Ice T-shirts and hats were made famous by the movie The Perfect Storm, in which Oscar nominated actor John Hawkes wore both (see photos here) while portraying real-life Gloucester fisherman «Bugsy» Moran of the crew of the F/V Andrea Gail, which stopped by Cape Pond Ice
