Outhouse Exhibit

Outhouse Exhibit. . , (left) , This building was constructed about 1870 and was originally located directly behind the Whitfield House. At that time, the property was a privately-owned farm and this structure was used as a workshop and storage barn. The State of Connecticut purchased the property and established the Whitfield Museum in 1900. During the 1930s restoration of the Whitfield House, the barn was moved away from the house and positioned here. It was converted into a garage, workshop, and storage facility., The barn renovation was done by noted architect and preservationist J. Frederick Kelly (1888-1947), who was in charge of the Whitfield House restoration. Three outhouses for museum visitors were installed across the back section of the barn. During the 1930s, many rural and shoreline areas still did not have indoor plumbing, so it was common for travelers to use outhouses at roadside rest areas, campgrounds, and parks. Visitors to the Whitfield Museum used these outhouses until the early 1960s., (caption) , Photograph taken during the Whitfield House restoration, c. 1932, (right) , A portion of the Whitfield House restoration was completed by craftsmen of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). One of the workers left behind graffiti that still exists in the center outhouse: "WPA WE PUTTER AROUND.", Since the building sits on a slope, clean out bins are easily accessible , look down over the railing to your right. This south outhouse has its own clean out bin, while the center and north outhouses share a larger one because their holes are back-to-back., J. Frederick Kelly also worked on the Visitor Center building behind you. In 1923, he converted it from a horse barn (constructed about 1870) into a Colonial Revival house for the museum caretaker. Indoor plumbing was installed, but those toilets were not available to museum visitors until the 1960s, and then only on a limited basis. Not until 1996, when the building was opened as a Visitor Center, were restrooms always accessible to the public., Where are the other outhouses that were used on the property by the Whitfield family in 1639 to the Tarr family in 1899? No trace of them exists above-ground and their locations have not yet been discovered. So far, archaeological work in multiple areas of the property has not found any evidence of an outhouse. It is hoped that future archaeology may someday answer this question and shed some light on this very important, but often overlooked, aspect of everyday life.