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All the United States Louisiana New Orleans General Laundry Building

General Laundry Building

It's clear this abandoned Art Deco gem was no ordinary cleaners.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Added By
Maeve Burns
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General Laundry Building.   Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
General Laundry Building.   Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
General Laundry Building.   Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
General Laundry Building.   Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
The building as it looked in the ’70s.   Jet Lowe
Colorful shapes peek out from behind the vegetation.   Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose
General Laundry Building.   zymurgea / Atlas Obscura User
General Laundry Building.   zymurgea / Atlas Obscura User
General Laundry Building.   zymurgea / Atlas Obscura User
General Laundry Building.   zymurgea / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Splashes of color stand out among the rest of this abandoned building's decaying, vandalized exterior. The bright pigment and intricate designs peeking out from behind tangles of vines and weeds hint that this Art Deco gem was no ordinary laundry facility.

Built in the 1930s, the General Laundry Building is an example of Art Deco architecture. As its artful exterior suggests, the building was for more than washing clothes. During its heyday, the laundromat hosted monthly fashion shows. Champagne was served while models displayed homespun and exotic cloths in the current fashions.

After a fire had destroyed his previous building, Robert Chapoit, the president of General Laundry, Cleaners, and Dyers, commissioned this beautiful Art Deco building by the architectural firm of Jones, Roessel, Olschner, and Wiener. Sadly, the building's stint as a laundry facility was short-lived. With the invention of the in-home modern washing machine, Chapoit closed the facilities in 1945 and sold the building.

Since then, the building has gone through the hands of several companies that have done nothing to preserve it or restore it to its former grandeur. It has been slated for demolition several times, though thankfully the wrecking balls have yet to arrive. The façade made it onto the National Register of Historic Places, but so far nothing has been done to save or resurrect this unique structure.

Related Tags

Art Deco Architecture Architectural Oddities Abandoned

Know Before You Go

Easy access via the Lafitte Greenway by bicycle or at Broad Street.

Community Contributors

Added By

zymurgea

Edited By

cfs2nd, Kerry Wolfe

  • cfs2nd
  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

February 27, 2018

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Sources
  • http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/article_4a166d1c-6f13-11e7-8256-875837897063.html
  • http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/11/a_new_orleans_art_deco_relic_f.html
General Laundry Building
2544 St Peter St
New Orleans, Louisiana
United States
29.968699, -90.08132
Get Directions

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New Orleans

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Orleans

New Orleans

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Stories 25

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