MONOGRAPHS OF KINNEY COUNTY’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE: Ice Plant/Butcher Shop (#14)

This bi-weekly feature examines the enduring unique architecture to be found here in Kinney County by spotlighting individual buildings and providing brief histories, complimented by period photographs. Our intent is to explore the past, inspire the present, and build the future by showcasing the remarkable associations and legacies of structures which have stood the test of time and continue to contribute so much to the exceptional heritage of Kinney County. Our next subject is the “Ice Plant/Butcher Shop” built in 1887 and a contributing structure to the Fort Clark Historic District, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

This plain stone building nestled in a small isolated grove of ancient oak trees in the traditional Quartermaster area of the post began its military service as the site of Fort Clark’s first ice plant. Today ice is a common household commodity we take for granted. Every home can make its own ice either in traditional trays or with a refrigerator with a built-in ice maker. On the southwest frontier in the 1880s ice was decidedly a rare luxury item. For centuries natural ice had been harvested in winter from frozen ponds, lakes and rivers in northern climes and had been developed into a profitable industry. It was not until the 1850s that technology began to emerge which could “manufacture” ice. In the late 1880s the U.S. Army Quartermaster Department began to purchase ice machines and ship them too far off posts in the southern departments, particularly in Texas. Fort Clark’s first ice machine arrived in the mid-summer of 1887. The first recorded mention of the new ice plant appears in the journal of Assistant Post Surgeon Dr. John Vance Lauderdale on August 15, 1887, “I called at the ice machine and found Mr. Kampman turning out blocks of beautiful crystalline ice. It is a great comfort to have the article during these days of fervid heat.” His journal entries of early August 1887 concerned bringing the new ice factory into production, which was done. The Lauderdale’s now had a block of ice delivered to their quarters (Qtrs No. 28) every morning. He further records an increased frequency of ice cream socials and the availability cool lemonade in the garrison.

Dr. Lauderdale was transferred to Fort Davis the following year and his experience with ice machines resulted in him supervising the assembly of an ice machine for that west Texas post. Dr. Lauderdale’s daily experiences at Fort Clark and Fort Davis in the late 1880s can be found in An Army Doctor on the Western Frontier, Journals and Letters of John Vance Lauderdale, 1864-1890. Edited by Robert M. Utley. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2014.

Early in the 20th century Fort Clark’s ice plant was relocated to the spring next to the pump house where the Fort Clark M.U.D. building stands today. The original ice plant’s stone building was converted into a butcher shop and fulfilled that purpose for the remainder of its army service.

In 1981 renowned Texas preservation architect Killis P. Almond, Jr. evaluated the building for his Fort Clark Historic District Preservation Plan: This small one-story structure has a roughly square plan with a hipped roof. The limestone is laid up as coursed ashlar with pitch facing and tooled margins. The building appears to have been constructed between 1880 and 1890. Historic windows are six-over-six wood double hung although the original openings may have only been iron barred. Door and window openings are spanned with timber lintels. The roof is hipped but original framing, as viewed from the interior, indicates a possible original monitor at the roof peak which has been removed. The present roof covering is asphalt composition shingles over historic wood shingles. The condition of the building is poor. The stone has been partially repainted with cement-based mortar and local drainage characteristics have produced severe moisture related stone deterioration. The wood floor, windows and door have deteriorated beyond repair. The timber lintels are in good condition. The roof is in very poor condition. The structure is currently abandoned.

Sadly not much has changed in the past 45 years. It would be profoundly significant if some benefactor would come forward and sponsor a National Register plaque for this building so its origins and purpose are not lost to history.

Monographs of Kinney County’s Architectural Heritage is written by Bill Haenn, FCHC Senior Historian. Fort Clark Heritage Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, established in 2023, to advocate for the preservation and protection of the architecture and other historic resources in the Fort Clark National Register Historic District for the benefit  of the visiting public and future generations, providing for the advancement and strengthening of heritage tourism initiatives by growing recognition of and visitation to the Fort Clark Historic District and being committed to endorsing and promulgating the rich history of Fort Clark by expanding upon related educational and research efforts. Find this article and more online at  KinneyCountyPost.com