Located in the Shenandoah Valley, the well-preserved Staunton Steam Laundry, is an example of a 20th-century commercial steam laundry in the City of Staunton that, at its height, employed over 125 people and provided service for a customer base that extended to the Virginia cities of Winchester, Roanoke, and Charlottesville, and even the West Virginia city of Charleston. The local neighborhoods were rumored to set their watches according to the steam whistle that governed the employee shift changes. The three buildings in the Staunton Steam Laundry complex mirror the expansion and evolution of the commercial laundry industry from 1928 to 1964 and features large windows to provide access to sunlight and proper ventilation, poured concrete floors to aid in fire prevention and support heavy machinery, multiple loading and unloading docks, and open interior spaces designed to house specialized equipment. Staunton Steam Laundry ceased operations in 2020.