Soon Porch Music Store will carry our own branded washboards!!
If you’re ever in Logan, Ohio, be sure to take a tour of the Columbus Washboard factory!
Below is a very nice video telling their story. Diane was our tour guide and Lisa showed us how they assemble the washboards.
Throughout our tour, I was fascinated by the 100+ year old machinery – much of which is still used to manufacture the washboards. The ones not in use are carefully set up for display, preserving the history of washboard manufacturing. For the tourist, signage above each work station provides general information. From a workshop perspective, the layout of the factory is fantastic and I’d love to have my workshop so clean and functional!
Behind the interviewer at the front of this video, you see the display of various boards but what you don’t see is that each board is a door that opens and inventory of that particular board is stored neatly behind it.
In the video, they briefly mention the washboard troop kit. Diane explained that the idea was sparked by a mother who visited to buy one to send to her son. It grew into thousands being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan as donors help fund the kits which include: a washboard, washtub, clothesline, clothespins, soap and foot powder along with instructions on how to do the laundry. (Step 8 says “Don’t discard the water. Soak your feet for 20 minutes, it will feel sooo good! Step 9 “Dry your feet, apply foot powder, clean socks and boots.”) columbuswashboard.com/pages/contact if you would like to contribute.
With just 4 full time employees, this is company doing something bigger! We’re excited to be adding the Porch Music Store branded washboard from the Columbus Washboard Factory. Every jug band needs a washboard!! Fun and functional.
