People have been intrigued by the ruin of the old ice house on North Main Street near the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway. Tall limestone walls continue standing even in areas where the roof is missing. Tourists are often be seen taking photographs of the shell.
Could the historic ruin on North Main be brought back to life? Could it become a tourist attraction helping fill Eureka’s hotels and restaurants during the traditionally slow winter months?
Fred Osborne thinks so. He envisions the building restored and made into an ice skating rink, refreshment area serving only things made with ice, a wedding chapel called Frozen in Time and a jewelry store called Dry Ice.
“This could be a major destination attraction for Eureka Springs,” Osborne said. “I know the ice rink in Bentonville is packed every night. And we would be able to reclaim an historic building and take it back for use by the city. It would make a huge, huge impact on the town. This would move us forward.”
Osborne previously lived in Branson, Mo., and moved to Eureka Springs six years ago after a spontaneous detour to Eureka on a trip to Little Rock. He was charmed by the town, and ended up operating the funnel cake shop downtown for a couple of years. Now he plans a much bigger business.
Osborne said the entire complex would be more than 7,000 sq. ft. divided into four separate areas, with the ice skating rink covering 2,790 sq. ft. in the burned-out section. Synthetic ice, requiring no refrigeration, would be used.
“Maintenance is minimal,” he said. “There is a lubricant you put down that helps keep your glide going.”
Osborne thinks it is a particularly good idea because Eureka Springs really needs an attraction to bring people to town during months that are slow for tourism. Plus, the activity would appeal to families and to the active younger generation.
“Eureka Springs has changed from primarily attracting retirees,” Osborne said. “We have a very athletic group coming to Eureka Springs any more. These are people who spend their days at work and their nights in the gym. For weekends they want to do off-road biking, hiking, zip lines, and water sports. These are people doing very physical sports. That is who we need to cater to. There are two elements missing in this town: family entertainment and a winter activity sport. This would bring both of them with one sweep.”
The first thing would be to purchase and then stabilize the building. A steel girder skeleton would be used to brace the walls inside and as a structure for the second floor seating gallery, where people watch ice skating.
Osborne has gotten estimates that it would cost $1.5 million to open the entire complex, but said it could happen in stages. He envisions the first two stages encompassing the ice skating rink and the refreshment area. The jewelry store and wedding chapel could come later. He’d also like to have a teen dance club.
Every piece of furniture would be made from a plastic material that looks like ice. And he plans for all fixtures throughout the complex to be replicated ice blocks.
Osborne expects it would take two years to complete, and said parking would be across the street on property that goes with the ice house.
To finance the project, he is hoping to turn it into a community project raising money from local individuals and corporate donors. He knows he will face an uphill battle competing for donations to the Eureka Springs Highlander Community Center, but is hoping people will support the vision.
“I think it will be very, very good for the town,” he said. “It is going to be such a visual experience, people will come from far away. People will be coming for more than a day trip.”
The Power House & Ice Factory opened in May 1891 and housed a power plant that provided electricity to private customers, provided street lighting, and operated a street railway.
“They built a fine limestone building near the railroad depot,” states information provided by the City of Eureka Springs. “Coal-fired steam boilers powered the generators to create the electricity. By 1908, the building was also an ice factory, which had a capacity of four tons of marketable ice per day plus 6,400 cubic feet of cold storage. Ice from this plant was delivered through the city for many decades.”
Osborne is proposing the attraction, possibly to be named the Old Ice Factory, be a non-profit, charitable organization. In addition to financial backing, he is hoping to attract volunteers like stone masons, electricians, carpenters, attorneys and web site designers. For more information, call Osborne at (479) 244-9862 or email fosbornejr@gmail.com.