The Privy

The Privy. . Before indoor toilets became common, most Americans used outhouses. An outhouse (also known as a privy) is a small structure covering a pit toilet or removable waste receptacle. The replica privy in front of you is made of 90% reclaimed lumber that was salvaged from the restoration of our Carriage House in 2012. It stands on the site of an outhouse used by keepers and their families in the early 1900s (seen below)., Did You Know? , The cutouts in outhouse doors are meant to let light and air into the structure. It's often said that a crescent moon marked a women's outhouse, while a star or sun was used for men. However, separate outhouses were rare. Many other shapes, such as diamonds and hearts, were also used., What's Old is New , Flush toilets were first showcased at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, and by the 1950s, had mostly displaced outhouses. However, outhouses (along with their modern counterpart, the compost toilet, seen below) have been making something of a comeback. Since they operate without plumbing or electricity, they save thousands of gallons of water each year compared to flush toilets. They have thus become popular with households interested in saving water, energy, and money. by living "off the grid.", (captions) , Left: Aerial photographs from the early 1900s show two privies on the grounds of the Pensacola Lighthouse. Like the Keeper's Quarters, the lawn was divided. The head keeper and their family used one outhouse, while the assistant keeper and their family used the other. , Right: Postcard illustration from 1957