Irish immigrant to Liverpool Kitty Wilkinson was the founder of the public washhouse and a public hygiene pioneer and was known as the ‘Saint of the Slums’ – now a new £14.7m development will be named in her honour. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) will rename a building currently undergoing a £12.7m transformation after a woman who became known as the ‘Saint of the Slums’.
An Irish immigrant to Liverpool in the 18th century, Kitty is revered as the founder of the public washhouse and a pioneer in public hygiene.
Her actions in opening up her home to allow poor people to use her boiler to wash their clothes and bedding during a cholera epidemic in the 1830s saved countless lives in Liverpool and marked a crucial development in public health.
Now LJMU says the current Henry Cotton Building in Trueman Street will be renamed in her honour. It is currently being transformed into a flexible teaching and learning facility for the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science by building firm VINCI.
Kitty’s legacy has been honoured across the city. She is the only woman to have a statue in St George’s Hall, she is depicted on a stained-glass window in Liverpool Cathedral’s Lady Chapel and Kitty’s Launderette is named in her honour.
Professor Paul Townsend, LJMU’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Health, Innovation, Technology and Science, said: “Kitty made a huge contribution to the city of Liverpool.
“Her proud legacy of helping people perfectly fits with our values at LJMU – being inclusive, the importance of community and supporting one another.
“She had a significant positive impact on public health and behaviour change in the city and beyond. That’s why we’re thrilled to be naming the Kitty Wilkinson Building.”
Playwright and actor Dr John Maguire studied for his PhD at LJMU and staged the play Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse. He added: “In her lifetime, she was never recognised for being the great community champion that she was.
READ MORE: Mayor halts £250m Merseyrail shareholder gravy train
“She did receive a teapot from Queen Victoria but I’m sure she would have pawned that teapot to be able to give somebody a meal. Unity in community is what Kitty stood for and we all need to be a bit more Kitty.”
The improvements to the building building, due to be completed in 2027, will deliver:
- A redesigned entrance to the building with a double-height foyer, improved reception and increased natural lighting.
- Additional teaching spaces including larger classrooms and a new Harvard-style lecture theatre, aligned with cohort sizes, to support “flexible teaching and learning experiences”.
- A new student zone, staff offices, staff lounge and meeting spaces.