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A building that began as a commercial laundry business now operates under the popular Black Dog Salvage team.
Hanging from atop the salvage counter inside Black Dog Salvage’s warehouse on 13th Street are two white laundry bags with the name “Magic City Launderers” printed in gray on the sides.
The bags are some of the remnants of this former commercial laundry business once located inside the 44,000-square-foot building, pictured here, at 13th Street in Southwest Roanoke. The business moved there in 1934 from its original location on Fifth Street, where it was incorporated in 1929, according to Roanoke City directories. Ernest Tudor was president and general manager.
A fire in 1949 gutted the building, though furs and some other garments were protected thanks to a fireproof vault where they were stored, according to a Roanoke Times article.
Tudor died of a heart attack in 1951, and his wife, Annie, took over management of Magic City Launderers until the business closed in 1957.
It’s unclear how the building was used after Magic City Launderers closed.
In 2003, the owners of Black Dog Salvage bought the property, and a stone house beside it, which is used as a guesthouse and a special events venue.
Black Dog Salvage, an architectural salvage business and design center, now operates two warehouses in Roanoke. Its location on 13th Street is an interior design showroom featuring custom upcycled designs, furniture paint, regional artisans in a marketplace area, and salvage-inspired furniture.
In addition to the salvage business, Black Dog’s founders and owners Robert Kulp and Mike Whiteside are stars of the reality DIY Network series, “Salvage Dawgs.” After 11 seasons, the network announced in July that the show will end.
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