Any outhouses in your neighborhood? How many?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Growing up in the country by the lake as a kid, every home and cottage in the neighborhood had an outhouse. Most were relics from the pre-plumbing days, but a few of the smaller cottages still got by without an indoor toilet. But most folks just used them as auxiliary off-loading places when there were extra visitors, like on Labor Day weekend. And we neighborhood kids found it convenient to duck into the nearest one to answer nature’s call, when rambling around the countryside.

We actually had two outhouses on our property, in addition to a genuine flush toilet inside! Such luxury, no waiting!

But over time, most of these were cleared away. A recent walking survey turned up only 3 biffies within a half-mile radius. One of them actually used to be ours, but we gave it to a cousin who wanted it out in his field, so he didn’t have to slog home to answer nature’s call. (Our old one got destroyed by vandals, damn them!)

How many used to be in your neighborhood? How many are in your neighborhood now?

2

I don’t think I’ve ever lived in a neighborhood with any left. So, 0 and 0.

Interestingly, I have lived places where there were seperate kitchen houses - a kitchen separate from the rest of the house.

3

I lived where there were thousands, and I had one of the few flush toilets in town (in Cameroon.)

4

The only one that I have had regular connection with was a cousin’s rustic cabin on a lake in Northern Minnesota. It was about 200 feet from the cabin, and it came complete with the old pot and wooden spoon for scaring off bears before heading back to the cabin at night.

It’s not there anymore.

5

I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the US, but they were common enough back in Bulgaria. My house had one, but I also had a brand new, incredibly shoddy flush toilet that was installed just for me, as Peace Corps Bulgaria has a rule that all volunteers have to have flush toilets.

6

We have one in the backyard here at our house. It’s ancient. It’s got to be at least 70 years old, and it is teetering into the hole it is standing over, as erosion has finally done some damage to the ground under it. I still remember when my grandpa dug the hole for it. It’s been moved back many times, when the hole filled up, but I only remember the last time it was moved. I remember that he always tossed some lime into the hole. I guess to keep the odor down in there, or to help along the poo to deteriorate. I have no idea why he did that, honestly. I’m sure he had his reasons.
It was still in use up until about 15 years ago.

My family and I live in the house my grandparents owned when they first were married. They lived here all their lives.
My mom grew up here, and I spent a lot of time here while I was growing up. My grandpa passed away back in '96, and my grandma refused to move. My family and I moved back here just over 7 years ago, and built onto this house, so we could live here, and I could take care of my grandma, up until her death this past November.

My grandparents didn’t get a bathroom in this house until around 1975, but they kept the old outhouse, and when we kids were outside playing, we just used it, rather than going into the house. We didn’t have to cut into our playtime too much that way. :smiley:

Sadly, I have wanted to keep the old outhouse, but it’s too far gone to bother fixing. I don’t know what I would use it for, other than a small gardening shed, in which to keep the gardening tools. But, next week, we’re going to start tearing down the three old sheds that also reside in the backyard. They are probably just as old as the outhouse, and in very bad shape. The outhouse will be torn down, also.

I believe this one we have is the only one left in our little town. I sure don’t recall seeing any others around here.

I hate to see the old outhouse go, but, it’s time to get rid of all that stuff, and turn the yard into a more usable space.

7

Google went by while we were having some home improvement done, so our Street View picture shows a portable toilet in our yard.

Fun fact: I asked the crew why there was a padlock on the port-a-potty, and they said, “we find that if we leave it unlocked, the mailman uses it.”

8

My grandmother had the first indoor toilet in our small town. That was before I was born and the outhouse was long gone. But when I was growing up there were still a few houses which used them. Mostly in the country.

My husband’s farm family of seven boys had a single outhouse, although a two-holer, until he was in seventh grade. In the winter, as they were making their pre-bed trek outdoors, as each would come into the house, instead of saying, “Next!” they’d say, “Pre-warmed.”

Reminds me of a stormy winter night about twenty years ago when I was driving home and couldn’t wait any longer I stopped in a little one-horse town and ran into the only building with a light still on. It was the junkyard shop. Do they still have those? Good old boys hanging out and playing poker.

Asked them if I could use the bathroom and they directed me to to the outhouse. Were sly winks being passed?

No mind, I was on a mission. I trotted without boots in snow up to my knees, in the dark, on a fairly long path. Didn’t want it too close to the office on those hot summer days.

No light; no TP.

As I drove the final leg of my journey the light bulb went off. A pox on those boys. Bet they had a good chuckle at my expense.

9

I haven’t seen one in any town I’ve lived in as an adult, but the grade school I attended in rural Idaho had one on the playground. It was handy to not have to run inside and waste precious recess time. It also had horse stables for the kids who rode horses to school.

10

This is marvelous. What year are we talking about here?

I live in the suburbs, so no outhouses. The city does supply the park where I walk with a Port-o-potty, though, and I’m very grateful! It’s reeeeealy nice to be able to pee at the park when it’s 10 minute walk home.

11

The only ones I’ve ever seen around here are the temporary ones used at construction sites. Growing up in rural NC we had something akin to an outhouse at a house we were living in as it was being built. I’m really glad I was young enough to not care or really be used to indoor plumbing.

ETA: After reading Ellen Cherry’s post, there is a nearby park that has a permanent port-o-potty, but most parks around here have actual plumbing.

12

Nothing near home but the mountain road going up to our cabin, one of fifty, still has about two dozen or so. They too date from pre-plumbing days, originally a necessity and now relegated to storage sheds and curious artifacts. Most times the construction was pretty creative, using the rough pine of the houses themselves, a crescent moon and occasionally even a two-seater.

My buddy in Willow, Alaska that built his own cabin on 20 very remote acres has a beautiful view of Denali from his outhouse. Best. Durfs. Ever.

13

Don’t know how many used to be in this neighborhood, as I’ve only lived in this part of town for a year and a half. There’s currently 2 within a mile of my house, and at least one of them is still in use as an outhouse.

14

I have never seen one in a town. The Cook County (Illinois), forest preserves still have them though.

15

Until recently (3 or 4 years ago) the (genaral avaition) airport I fly out of had ouhouses - in pretty bad shape. The flyers bought a port-a-pottie which was an improvement.

The nearby state park has vault toilets - though the main restroom does have running water for sinks and showers.

Brian

16

I lived in a tiny town in Iowa in the early 70’s. Nearly every house still had an outhouse and a well. Our neighbors were the last to get connected to water in 1976. When we got a dog we sawed our outhouse in half and make a doghouse out of it.

17

Growing up, our across the road neighbors, a couple in their 70’s still had one and drew their water from a well.

And my grandparents’ house had one. Well, I should say the house Pawpaw rented. He was a share cropper his whole life and never owned property. Driving my mother around is a history lesson in all the places they lived while she was growing up.

Both of these would have been in the 1970s to very early 1980s. I don’t know of any that still exist around here.