What is the history of laundry service at Davidson?
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, laundry service was not done on campus. Students sent out their laundry to be cleaned by local laundresses in Davidson, Charlotte, and the surrounding areas. The idea for a College Laundry was proposed by the administration in 1911. However, funds were not available at that time. In the 1919-1920 catalogue, it was announced that a laundry facility would be coming to campus, stating: “A laundry sufficient to do all unstarched work for the students has been authorized and will be in operation at the opening of next fall. For hygienic and other reasons all students will be required to patronize this laundry. The charge will be as low as will allow for the proper conduct and care of this plant.” Perhaps, this emphasis on hygiene resulted from the college’s experience with the Spanish influenza on campus in 1918-1919. The first full service laundry facility opened in 1920 and students were charged $2 a month for services.
In 1972, when Davidson became coeducational, the Special Sub-committee on Coeducation of the Student Life Committee recommended that “the laundry as it stands now is not equipped to launder women’s apparel satisfactorily.” Making the service optional for women brought meant that the college installed the first coin-operated washers and dryers in the dorms. By 1980, the coin operated self-service facilities became free.
By the 21st century, students could still use the full laundry service at Davidson. Students dropped off clothes at the laundry and picked them up once clean. Laundry was wrapped in brown-paper bundles, which was later replaced by more eco-friendly canvas bags. In 2004, the laundry building was renamed in honor of Lula Bell Houston, who worked at Davidson for 57 years. In the summer of 2007, Davidson College consolidated all of the free self-service washers and dryers that were scattered across campus into one self-service laundromat, the Wildcat Laundry (located next to the full-service laundry). Today, laundry facilities can be found in residence halls across campus. On May 15, 2015, Davidson transitioned to an entirely self-service laundry model.
For more information about the laundry and its history, please explore these resources: