Consolidated Ice Company Factory No. 2
Why it's listed
Built in 1907 by the Consolidated Ice Company on a block bordered by 42nd, 43rd and Willow Streets in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood, this complex combines a two-story brick office building with a two-story brick manufacturing plant. At the time of construction it was the largest ice factory in the city, with a daily capacity of 200 tons. The plant's limited window openings and Romanesque brick detailing give it a fortress-like appearance. Its interior held brine-filled freezing tanks, where water in galvanized steel cans was frozen into blocks, and tall ice storage rooms cooled by refrigerant pipes. The factory was part of a shift from natural ice harvested from rivers and lakes to artificial ice made locally, a change that transformed domestic food storage. Its surviving buildings illustrate that transition. The complex closed in 1951, when home refrigeration had largely replaced the icebox trade.
Significance in brief: The factory is argued to be locally significant under Criterion A for its role in the evolution of Pittsburgh's ice industry, and at the time of its 1907 construction it was the largest ice manufacturing plant in the city. It is also argued to be locally significant under Criterion C as a strong example of an industrial facility with period stylistic influences. The nomination describes it as one of the last surviving elements of the city's ice industry.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00001348, listed November 8, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 100 43rd St., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | November 8, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001348 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907-1951 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque; Renaissance Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The factory closed in 1951, and two metal storage additions were added after the closing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.47449, -79.96390 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00001348.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5163280
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.