History of 118 Elliot

Before 118 Elliot was a thriving arts and educational center, it was the old Spic n Span Laundromat that was used for 25 years or so until it fell into disrepair.

118’s been collecting some stories from people who used that laundromat over the years which we will present on these pages at a later date. If you have a story, please email us at 118elliot@gmail.com and we can include it.

But long, long before that, in the late 1800s, it was the site of the Lawrence Water Cure, erected just across from the Wesselhoeft Water-Cure located just across the street at the current site of the Brattleboro Fire Department. You can meet Dr. Wesselhoeft in these delightful audio stories about the ‘Brattleboro Hydrotherapy Establishment’ or simply the ‘Wesselhoeft Water Cure’ produced by 118 Elliot partner Lissa Weinmann for the Brattleboro Words Trail.

The water cures helped put Brattleboro on the map as a bucolic, therapeutic destination for the well-heeled seeking respite from the horrors of city life during the noxious full tilt of the industrial revolution. These photos were taken from the Brattleboro Historical Society’s fine collections on the water cures and their role in creating the deep currents that to this day make Brattleboro so special. While the water cures may be gone, the waters remain — the confluence of the Connecticut River, the Whetstone Brook and the West River, all watched over by big grandad Mount Wantastiquet (rattlesnake mountain) the meeting of the waters that since aboriginal times have made this site unique.