The former laundry market Lenoir, located rue de Cotte, in the 12th arrondissement of the capital, is the only former Parisian laundry has been listed in the inventory of historical monuments (in 1988).
This building should not be confused with the Bateau-Lavoir, a city of artists created at the end of the 19th century at Place Goudeau, on the Montmartre hill.
The former laundry market Lenoir was built in 1830 and was originally located at number 9 rue de Cotte. Protected, its facade was transferred to number 3, separating from the street a sports field. The operation was accomplished by dragging the facade onto a rail.
The building which has not been conserved, built of wood and metal and ventilated by shutters, was opened to the public until 1960. An industrial laundromat was installed in the premises until 1987.
During the nineteenth century, public washrooms or private (there were up to 300) allowed to wash or laundry, against the payment of a fee for an hour, and the provision of water laundry and hot water. It was not unusual then to rinse the linen in the Seine.
These wash-houses were devolved to the most modest Parisians, the most affluent part of the population entrusting their washing and laundering linen to institutions or individuals in the suburbs.
This testimony of the everyday life of yesteryear at Paris can be observed during a walk in this neighborhood. Information on +33 1 49 52 42 63.
