Long before air conditioners, Americans used ‘white gold’ and other clever methods to keep themselves cool

This year, a severe heatwave shattered temperature records across Europe. An estimated 10,000 to more than 14,000 excess deaths were linked to the severe late-June 2026 heatwave alone, according to reports. The United States, too, has seen dozens of heat-related deaths during heatwaves this year.

But extreme heat is hardly a recent phenomenon. The US experienced a devastating heatwave in 1936 that reportedly killed more than 5,000 people. Other deadly heatwaves struck the country in 1901, 1993 and 1999.

So, how did people keep themselves cool before air conditioning became commonplace?


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Long before air conditioners, Americans used ‘white gold’ and other clever methods to keep themselves cool

Long before air conditioning became a fixture in American homes, staying cool during summer required a mix of clever architecture, lifestyle changes, fans, ice and plenty of patience.

Air conditioning only became widely accessible in the United States in the mid-20th century. Hospitals and factories were among the earliest places to adopt the technology, while residential systems remained too large and expensive for most families. The arrival of affordable window air conditioners in 1947 began to change that. By 1960, about 12% of American households had air conditioning. By 1980, that figure had climbed to 55%.

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Before that transformation, Americans had spent centuries finding ways to work with the heat rather than simply switching it off.

Houses were designed to catch the breeze

Architecture played a major role in keeping homes comfortable.

Windows were positioned to create cross-ventilation, while double-hung windows allowed hot indoor air to escape through the upper sash as cooler air entered through the lower one. In warmer regions, doors and windows were aligned to encourage breezes to pass through rooms.

Homes were also often built with high ceilings. A 10-foot ceiling became common in many houses, giving hot air more room to rise away from living areas. Transom windows above interior doors helped move fresh air into rooms that otherwise had little ventilation.

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Cupolas and belvederes provided another ingenious solution. Openings at the top of a house allowed rising hot air to escape, creating a natural chimney effect that helped pull cooler air through the building.

The design of homes in places such as New Orleans reflected this emphasis on ventilation. Large windows, shaded porches and carefully planned rooms helped maximize airflow while limiting the amount of heat entering the house.

Porches became outdoor living rooms

During hot weather, people did not always try to cool the entire house. They simply moved outside.

Porches became a common feature of American homes during the 19th century. They provided shade, allowed families to enjoy passing breezes and helped shield the rooms below from direct sunlight.

Wrap-around porches could become extensions of the home, with families sometimes moving their dining tables outdoors.

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For those who could afford to escape the heat entirely, summer homes offered another option. Wealthier Americans retreated to coastal or mountain properties, while by the 1920s, middle- and working-class families increasingly had access to cabins and bungalows for summer vacations.

Some people slept outdoors

When temperatures remained high after sunset, even the bedroom could become unbearable.

Sleeping porches offered a solution. These screened-in spaces were often built on rooftops, second stories or as additions to homes, allowing people to sleep while taking advantage of nighttime breezes.

President William Howard Taft had a sleeping porch installed on the White House roof in 1910. A few years later, President Woodrow Wilson moved his office into a tent at the edge of the White House Rose Garden during the summer of 1914.

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In crowded cities, residents sometimes took the idea even further. Some people slept on fire escapes during particularly hot nights. Police records from the early 20th century even document fines issued to people whose mattresses blocked fire escapes.

Fans existed long before electricity

The basic idea behind a fan was hardly new.

Hand-held fans had been used for thousands of years to create a breeze and keep insects away. Folding fans eventually became fashion accessories and status symbols, before mass production made paper and paddle fans affordable to ordinary Americans.

People also devised mechanical ways to create airflow. Fan chairs used foot pedals to operate fans, allowing users to generate a breeze while sitting. Benjamin Franklin reportedly created his own version by modifying a rocking chair.

Electricity eventually transformed the technology. Inventor Schuyler Wheeler created what is widely considered the first electric fan in 1886.

But electricity itself was far from universal. By 1925, only about half of American homes had electricity, meaning many households still depended on simpler cooling methods.

Ice was the closest thing to air conditioning

Ice became another important weapon against summer heat.

The United States developed a huge ice-trading network during the 19th century. Large blocks were harvested from frozen lakes, stored in insulated warehouses and transported to cities by horse-drawn wagons.

The system was remarkably labor-intensive. Some shipments lost as much as two-thirds of their weight to melting before reaching their destinations. Because of its expense and value, transported ice became known as “white gold.”

Families who could afford regular deliveries bought large blocks from icemen and stored them in iceboxes to preserve food.

Ice could also be used directly for cooling. On extremely hot days, people could place a large block of ice nearby and use a fan to blow air across it. The moving air picked up some of the cooling effect from the melting ice.

Water provided another cooling trick

Evaporative cooling is much older than modern air conditioning.

The basic principle involves moving air across wet material. As water evaporates, it removes heat from the surrounding air. Versions of this technique have existed for thousands of years and were particularly useful in dry climates.

Americans also adapted their daily routines around the heat. Cooking often took place in separate summer kitchens so that heat from stoves would not warm the main house. Families could also prepare food early in the morning or after sunset, when temperatures were lower.

Clothing changed with the seasons too. Heavy wool garments gave way to lighter linen and cotton clothing during summer.

Even theaters struggled with summer heat

Public buildings faced the same problem as homes, only on a much larger scale.

Movie theaters and other entertainment venues could become unbearably hot during summer. Attempts to cool large spaces with blocks of ice and fans offered only limited relief.

The arrival of modern air conditioning changed that. In 1922, air-conditioning systems were installed in theaters, helping establish cooled indoor entertainment spaces and eventually making artificial cooling a defining feature of modern life.

For most Americans, however, home air conditioning remained out of reach for years.

The affordable window air conditioner changed that equation after 1947. What had once required careful house design, strategic daily routines, mechanical fans, ice and a willingness to sleep outdoors could increasingly be handled by simply turning on a machine.

Before air conditioning, keeping cool was not one dramatic invention but a collection of small solutions developed over generations. Americans learned to design their homes around airflow, move with the seasons, use shade and water, and make the most of whatever breeze they could find.

Modern air conditioning may have revolutionized summer life, but the ingenuity used to survive the heat had already been around for centuries.