Disinfecting stations were built across London after the introduction of the Local Government Act of 1899. This enabled councils to enter homes, remove contaminated belongings, and disinfect them using steam cleaning.
In its first full year of operation, more than 24,000 items were disinfected and over 2,800 rooms treated, according to the Victorian Society.
The charity’s president Griff Rhys Jones said the original facility was a “vital and ground-breaking” initiative that should be preserved as a “monument to Victorian foresight”.
Although the Shelter House – which provided temporary accommodation for displaced families – and caretaker’s lodge remain occupied, the main building was mothballed in 2020, and it now appears on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. , external
Basic repairs have been undertaken, but the site remains vulnerable, the campaign group says.
