Thanks so much for your reply. I agree that laundries rarely had their own
building -- all the info I've found has shown that laundry work went
together with kitchen chores.
I would love to have a copy of the site map if it wouldn't be too much
trouble.
Thanks again,
Zahava
>From: Jay and Beth Stottman <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Late 18th century -- early 19th century laundry buildings
>Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 22:10:35 -0800
>
>I recently completed excavation of late 19th century washhouse at Riverside
>in Louisville Kentucky. I am actually putting the finishing touches on a
>paper for the Ohio Valley Historic Archaeology conference this weekend
>about
>the washhouse. I was surprised to find out that there were few
>architectural examples of these structures in KY, much less archaeological
>examples. The only archaeological example I could find was a washhouse
>excavated at Shakertown, Pleasant Hill by Kim McBride (there is an
>architectural example there too). I found one architectural example, where
>a spring house had a room that included a hearth with a built-in kettle
>that
>was probably a laundry. I suspect that laundry activities rarely had their
>own building, but were carried out in other buildings or in the work yard.
>Vlach's book "Back of the Big House" has a couple of good pictures of
>laundry areas and architectural floor plans of buildings that have a
>laundry
>area.
>
>The artifacts found at our washhouse were typical of the work yard around
>domestic buildings, consisting of some dish and bottle fragments, toys,
>personal items, and of course quite a few buttons.
>
>Our washhouse was constructed over a cistern and included a drain system.
>Behind the structure was a rectangular open hearth with no chimney that
>could accommodate maybe two large kettles. We even found a posthole for a
>kettle crane next to the hearth. Additionally there were a couple of
>trenches that I believe were used to produce wood ash for soap making. I
>don't think the much of the laundry process took place inside of the
>structure, but it was more or less a yard activity. It seems that our
>structure was more an elaborate cover for the cistern than a laundry.
>However it could have been used during inclement weather. Prior to the
>construction of this structure, I think the laundry activities took place
>in
>the detached kitchen.
>
>I think features to look for at a laundry site would be a nearby water
>source and a place to heat a large amount of water. Features like wells,
>cisterns, spring, large hearths or fire trenches where kettles could be
>used
>to heat water. The work yard, kitchens, springhouses, well houses could
>probably handle the laundry activities.
>
>I would be glad to scan our site map and e-mail it to you if you like. I
>can send you a copy my paper as well.
>
>M. Jay Stottman
>Kentucky Archaeological Survey
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Zahava Shaffer" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 11:16 AM
>Subject: Late 18th century -- early 19th century laundry buildings
>
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > I am researching laundry sites in order to evaluate one at Shuter's
>Hill,
> > Alexandria, Va. I was wondering if anyone on the list happens to have
>any
> > information regarding them, such as the following:
> >
> > 1. Does anyone know of an excavated laundry site?
> > 2. If so, were they generally used just as laundry buildings or also as
> > kitchens?
> > 3. What artifacts were recovered?
> > 4. Are there any particular features that help sites to be defined as
> > laundry sites?
> > 5. Does anyone know where I could access site maps of laundry sites?
> > 6. Does anyone know of any literature (archaeological and historical)
> > available regarding laundries?
> >
> > I would appreciate any assistance in this matter.
> > Thanks,
> > Zahava Shaffer
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