310 E. Main
Address: 310 E. Main – Laundry
This block once known as the Old Wooden Row was the first business block in Dansville (Lowell). Built between 1846 and 1870, it contained 11 wooden buildings along the south side of Bridge (Main) Street between Monroe and Washington Streets. This is the 4th door east of Monroe. Although we know none of its early history, it was known as the Hunter laundry building because A. P. Hunter and wife owned it for many years.From 1891 until its demise in 1907, it has been home to several laundries whose businesses were owned by a succession of proprietors. Banner Laundry began in 1891 with Ed Webber, proprietor; next Lewis Kitchen; then Ed M. Andrews bought the business and hired C. L. Severy to manage it; Severy passed it to G. W. Severy. In 1899 Claude Campbell operated Lowell Laundry here. After he died, his wife operated it for 2 years before selling it to Brockway and Wieland (1901). In 1902, it was called Gem Laundry and was owned by Clark Bros. O. J. McClellan was Proprietor of Lowell Laundry from 1905-1907. During the 1890s, Gib Worden, the old dance fiddler, lived upstairs in the front room which he reached by a rickety flight of stairs. Worden slept lightly and when the fire bell rang he would dash down stairs and glance east and west to locate the fire. At 11:00am, on October 11, 1900, fire was discovered in the roof of this building probably starting from the smoke stack. The fire department responded and was able to put the fire out. A new steel roof was soon put on. The night of July 11, 1907, was the beginning of the end for the Old Wooden Row. Fire was discovered in the laundry and the alarm was sent. The building was destroyed in a very few minutes as the flames gained rapid headway through the row; the dry wooden buildings burning like kindling wood in spite of the efforts of the firemen. A strong wind from the southeast aided the progress of the fire. Laundryman O. J. McClellan and his wife were among the first to reach the place and were trying to save something from their shop when a live wire, becoming disconnected, fell upon him. In an attempt to save his wife, McClellan grasped the wire and received the deadly current, flames bursting from his hand. Screaming for help, they fell, she first and he with his arm thrown over her. The current passed from his body to hers with less intensity. The foreman of The Ledger office threw off his coat and doubling it several times put it over the wire and released the dying man’s grasp, after which others removed the bodies. Mrs. McClellan survived as did her teen-aged son and daughter. The son had a hand burned while assisting in the rescue of his mother. The laundry building was destroyed along with several others. The lots were purchased by the owners of the Lowell Cutter Company so they could build an Auto Body Plant on the site (1909). Images: Lowell Laundry is the building with 3 windows upstairs. Laundry Ad Fire destroyed or damaged the laundry building and four others, 1907. |