GRANVILLE – Residents will have the opportunity to learn about the area’s ice harvesting history and Noble and Cooley’s history through on-ice demonstrations, a video, and tours of the building for the museum’s 12th annual ice harvest on Feb. 1.

Carol Jones with Noble and Cooley explained that Dennis Picard, the former director of the Storrowton Village Museum, will showcase the ice harvest demonstrations throughout the day. She said, “Picard will organize the harvest and invite visitors to join him on the ice to use the ice saw and other tools to experience life before the days of refrigeration.”

While Picard is doing the demonstrations outside and showing attendees how to use the tools, Jones said they will be showcasing a video on ice harvesting in the museum while they will also be giving tours and talking about Noble and Cooley’s history, dating back to the 1850s.

After the Civil War, Jones said, the local area became one of the major sources of ice for refrigeration throughout the country during the early 1900s.

“The Congamond Lakes, favored with good rail transportation on the nearby New Haven-Northampton railroad line, offered a unique business opportunity. The spring-fed Congamond lakes produced a pure, high quality ice that found a ready market,” she said.

Jones said that the Ice Harvest will take place on Feb. 1 from 12 to 3 p.m. and is free of charge but they will be accepting donations at the harvest. Anyone interested in attending the harvest should visit www.ncchp.org for last minute ice conditions before the event. She added that the presentation is supported by grants from the Granville Cultural Council, the Suffield Historical Society and the Suffield Land Conservency.

She stated in a press release that everyone at Noble and Cooley is looking forward to celebrating local history and community through the ice harvest.

“We hope to bring people together to rekindle the community spirit of the farm communities and industrial villages that were common in most of New England,” she said.