Women of the Davidson College Laundry

 

The Davidson College laundry existed from 1920-2015, making it one of the longest running services of its kind. In the timeline below, you can look through a selection of artifacts from the Archives and Special Collections that document laundry operations through the years. The Laundry section of this website features the stories and biographies of women who worked in the laundry and provides a general history of this foundational service.

 

Landing Page: Here, you can find materials from the Davidson College Archives and Special Collections about the college laundry, particularly the archival sources used to create the "Laundry History" and "Laundry Staff" pages. 

 

Laundry History: This page details the contributions of Black women to the history of the college laundry. This history begins with local Black laundresses in Davidson in the 19th century and early 20th century and leads up to the creation of the college laundry in 1920. Following this is a section dedicated to Lula Bell Houston, who worked in the laundry for 57 years. Finally, we highlight the legacy of the college laundry on campus today with the Lula Bell Houston Resource Center. 

 

Laundry Staff: On this page you will find stories from and information about Black women on the staff of the laundry using resources from the Davidson College Archives and Special Collections. We emphasize quotes from interviews with the staff persons to give a human face to this space that was significant to the college for so many years.

 

 

Laundry through the Archives

 

The Davidson College laundry existed from 1920-2015, making it one of the longest running services of its kind. In the timeline below, you can look through a selection of artifacts from the Archives and Special Collections that document laundry operations through the years. 

 

 

Advisory Statement: 

Davidson College Archives and Special Collections contain materials originally published in yearbooks, newspapers, and other Davidson College publications. You may encounter upsetting racist, oppresive, and outdated representations in these documents. They are included for historical accuracy and do not represent the views of the current Davidson College community, which seeks to honor the dignity of all persons and commits itself to a quest for truth and building of a more just and humane future.