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Free Laundry
November 08
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 "Lavandero Gratuito"
Free community laundry in Betanzos
This building was built in 1902 on the outskirts of Betanzos as a place where local
people could do their laundry in the water of the Rio Mendo, a small river running along the edge of the
town. Today people wash their clothes at home but some apartment dwellers occasionally take advantage of the
clotherlines. The building is maintained by the town to commemorate the generosity of the two philanthropists
who built it (and a lot more) for the town.
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 Side view. The Rio Mendo runs along the back of the
building (on the left). Note the clotheslines out front. There are a lot more clotheslines inside on both floors of the building. |
 Inside, part of lower floor. The river is on the right. The clothes
hanging in the background probably belong to someone who doesn't have a dryer in his/her apartment. |
 Rear view. Where the river meets the building there are two
long concrete troughs. Depending on the river's level, one or both (or neither) have water running through them. |
 The troughs are probably never used these days. They've got
a coat of mud on the bottoms, though, so the water must be running through them when the river's high enough. |
The Philanthropists
Brothers Juan and Jesus Garcia-Naveira were Galician natives who left Betanzos in the 19th Century to make their fortunes abroad. They became very rich, mainly in Argentina, and returned to Betanzos at the end of the century. When they returned, much of their
fortunes went to finance civic improvenemts such as this public laundry, as well as schools, monuments, an
orphanage, etc. Today, the grateful town's main square and main business street are named for the brothers. |
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