Museum Galleries - Wash House

Wash House, Shifting Shanty, or Change House

A washhouse is a colliery surface building where mineworkers washed themselves and changed from work to street clothes after work, and vice versa before their work shift. U.S. coal industry experts studied the practice of washhouses in Europe and cited their importance to the health and safety of the worker and his family. By the First World War era, washhouses were installed at large collieries.

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The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum and
Iron Furnaces, administered by Chester Kulesa, Site Administrator,
are two of three sites that make up the Anthracite Museum Complex,
which also includes
Eckley Miner's Village.
The Museum and Iron Furnaces are owned and operated by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Historical and Museum
Commission, Harrisburg, PA.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor
Wayne Spilove, Chairman
Barbara Franco, Executive Director

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