Over the years we have received THOUSANDS of comments from visitors like yourself. Some offer pictures of their own outhouses to be added to the Outhouses of America Tour, some add funny comments while some tell about their experiences with an outhouse. Almost everyone is interesting in its own way. Grab a favorite beverage and enjoy reading some of them. It will take you a LONG time to get through all of them!
New comments will be added below but old comments are located on several web pages in our archives. Links to them are below as well added on menu items. Feel free to send us comments as well. Enjoy!
- 10/27/2023 Hi John, I just ran across your recent post on your web site. I’m happy your still gathering images of outhouses. I’m still really into it as well and now wife and I living just outside of Carson City, Nevada.We just took in the 2023 International Outhouse Races here in Virginia City. It was a blast. We haven’t chatted in a while but it’s still my goal in life to put the Outhouse Preservation Society back in the news.I have some ideas I would like to run by you if you’re interested.It’s amazing what people are asking for postcards on EBay, you and I remember when you can find them in antique stores for a dollar, now there bringing upwards of $15.00 a piece. I hope your postcards are getting the same.Wishing you the very best always!!Bill Pierce
- 7/14/2023 Looking for an outhouse in Hope, Mi. Gladwin County. Saw an old article about Outhouses by Clare, Mi.
- Curator’s Comment:
Yes. I have a page somewhere on the website about Amish outhouses near Clare. You can see them along highway 127 on the West side.Here is the web page link: http://www.jldr.com/
ohamish.html
- Curator’s Comment:
- 4/3/2023 Any outhouses for sale?
- Curator’s Comment: We get a lot of requests for this. Sometimes in the past I would create pages with an outhouse for sale but people never follow up and then the page is active for a long time. When I get contacted about it, I can never get hold of the person who had the outhouse for sale. People seem to change their Email addresses quite often and don’t update me.
- 3/10/2023 Hello!
I am the park interpreter for Powhatan Historic State Park, and I am currently researching WPA era outhouses. My park preserves a late 19th century courthouse and historic town site. The WPA built two outhouses next to our courthouse, though they have since been demolished only leaving the concrete outline of the original pad.My goal is to recreate/rebuild the two outhouses and create some educational panels. You have some of the best reference photos, and I just wanted to see if we could start a correspondence that I might learn more about historic outhouses.I’m pretty sure the two pads at my park are large enough fro two seater outhouses, but I haven’t had a chance to measure them yet. I just found the dimensions for the WPA outhouses this morning.If you’re interested let me know.
Thanks!
Zachary- Curator’s Comment:
Sure, keep in touch. I do have several WPA outhouses on the Outhouses of America Tour website so you can probably gain a little info from those. The fact that they built two of them tells me that they have a Women’s and a Men’s.Thanks,John
- Curator’s Comment:
- 3/10/2023 I live in Butler Pennsylvania. We are on a senior bowling team and sometimes the score ends up as 111. Some of the older rural folks around here would say ” You’re in the outhouse”. But no one seems to know where the phrase came from or what it means. Could it be an Appalachian or hillbilly phrase. Have you ever heard of it or know its origin?
- Curator’s Comment: I am sorry but I’ve never heard that before and I bowled on a league for years. I hiked the Appalachian trail in 2021 and 2022 but didn’t hear that on the trail either. You have stumped the Curator of the Outhouses of America Tour website!
- 2/4/2023 Good Day
Please may I have your permission to use the photograph of an outhouse by T. Felty
I wish to submit an article on how excrement was dealt with in the villages of Pondoland in the 1900s to a genealogical magazine in South Africa. This photograph will illustrate the article very well.
In hope
thanks
Veronica - 12/29/2022 Santa should wear his glasses at all times!
- 7/31/2022 Would it be possible for me to create an article for your website about how to move with your pet (or dogs!) into a smaller house or apartment?
In case you’re interested, please let me know.
Regards,
Susan P- Curator’s Comment: I responded but she never wrote an article.
- 4/18/2022 Look what my son found by the side of the road!
- 1/11/2021 Look what some joker made here in Texas the other day:
- I found this article about why you see a lot of lilac bushes near older outhouses:
- Looking for instruction on the hole, foundation, vent and sealing to make a fairly bug free outhouse. the cabin is at 9000ft and a weekend retreat. don`t see a purpose for composting in this case, because we aren`t always there and a very short growing season. just wondered if this book includes great help for what i mentioned. please advise thanks a lot!
- Curator’s Comment: I think they were talking about the Humanure Handbook found for sale in our Outhouse Store. The Lovable Loo would definitely work for them.
- I have been in the Modular Building Business since 1979 www.buildingpro.com
Most building are 1,000 – 4,000 Sq. Ft. About two years ago I started building toilet trailers.
- I was coming back from a trip I make once a month down to Bellville Ohio to where we have a fly fishing meeting. Being I had to take a back country road I did find an outhouse just like the one we used so next month I’ll grab the camera and take the picture this way you can use it. Will that work?
- Curator’s Comment: I couldn’t post that picture because it was copyrighted.
-
As a young boy to grow up on a small farm knowing that the privy was hidden
behind one of the out buildings. We used it up until the late 50’s after that Dad built an extra room on the back of the house it was called the bathroom. No longer trips to the privy during the winter months. We still used it in an emergency coming off the field. -
My son used to live in Alaska. On the way to Denali, we would pass by an outhouse guarded by an officer. I found two pictures of the Officer and the guard shack to show you. One from 2014 in July and one from 2015 in March. Both times we were moving so it’s not the best but not bad either.
- I wrote an article about an Outhouse Dig that I did in September and sent it in. I just got the Feb 2013 issue of AB&GC and saw that I won 1st place. Who would have thunk?
- Curator’s Comment (from my Outhouse Digging Expert): I had seen this article (story). In fact, he had sent it to me. I’ve created a monster. He originally contacted me wanting info about finding and digging privies. He had amazing success in the beginning, although the bottles are coming out of the ground a lot slower these days. He’s had to the English language and drop the internet phonics lingo. He sent me a copy of his first submission for editing, and has gradually learned to walk alone. I’ll probably never meet Rick in person, but we’ve proven cyber friendships are possible. He is a great guy and has out done me, sorry example of a mentor that I am.Since you first featured me as resident digger on your Outhouse web site, there has been a great increase of digging sites on the internet, including UTUBE. I do get an occasional email from someone who found me on your website. I still appreciate you.I’ll be 76 in April. A degenerated disc in my lower back and gimpy knees has caused me to have to end my digging career. It was fun while it lasted, Hurricane Katrina caused a jump in digging activity in New Orleans, but it has slowed down now.Peace…Charlie C in Louisiana Bayou Country.
- In my genealogy search, I discovered that my great grandmother (Bessie Montgomery) was the spokesperson for a product called Gly-Cas. It was sold through H. C. Paulsen & Son Drug Store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Newspaper ads featuring my great grandmothers testimony, endorsement and photo appeared in 1936, but the drug store existed on the corner of Third and Main Street. According to the ad, the product was sold in boxes.I write to ask if you have found any boxes or bottles of this product. I would be interested in making a purchase.Margaret D
Journalist”
Stories of All Types - Penn’s Store first Saturday in October…Crisp morning air, green leaves looking for gold, birds chirping, dogs barking, cows mooing. Pots and pans clang, smoke rises as vittles cook. Key unlocks the store door. The day begins at 10.Shinny trucks, Ugly trucks, classic cars, rumbling motorcycles, jeeps, SUVs, ATVs travel from afar. Helium balloons begin to dot the sky, mules walk softly by as wagon wheels roll. Hey, MULE MAN … give me a ride?A guitar, banjo, fiddle and bow, people gather ’round, memories old and new abound. Children play, blankets cover the ground, up right chairs abound.Goodies to eat, goodies to buy, folks to “Meet & Greet”: Andy Colley, Dan Houston, Mule Man, Nelson Reynolds, Yolantha Pace, Darlene Campbell, CA Shelley, Linda Prather, Karrell Wilkerson, Dale Whittingham, Bob Woodward. Anyone seen TURTLEMAN?High Noon – Flags wave, crowd roars, cameras ready, a horn blows and SPEEDING OUTHOUSES ROLL!Men with Ugly Legs strut their stuff. Ladies shuck and shell corn while the Outhouse Bachelor awaits. And SPEEDING OUTHOUSES ROLL!Sounds of music from a high place, old country, blues, rock and folk fill the afternoon air. Andy Rice, Mill Street Band, Dawn Osborn, Cheyenne, 3 on The Floor ………………………………. and more. And SPEEDING OUTHOUSES ROLL!
Children hop around, dancing feet hit the ground, folks up and down. Hillbilly Ice Cream, DUNN’S BBQ, fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, spiced tea, cakes and pies, soup beans and cornbread. All’s well fed. Smiles, laughter, amongst family, friends, and unknown kin. Soul food.
And SPEEDING OUTHOUSES ROLL!
- Good Morning, Am Mr.Roy Term and would like to make an Order of ((Modular
Brick)Nominal Dimensions 4 inches × 2 inches × 12 inches with color
Brown from you or what types and sizes you have in stock now also let
me know the price of each yard and the types of payment that you
accept. Thank you and waiting to hear from you as soon as possible.- Huh?
- Hello, I am Mr peter scoles, and i would like to order some lavatories from
your company/store and would be glad to know what you have in
stock, the types and their prices. Please do include your types of credit card you accept for payment. Waiting on your warm responds as soon as possible
Regards, Peter- Curator’s Comment: We don’t sell Outhouses!
- Hello, My name is Mr Tom Smith, and i will like to know if you have this Potty Seat in stock.Bucket Potty Seat
Dimensions L W H
14 3/4″ 14 3/4″ 2 1/2″Please quote me the total of (150) pieces of them if you have them in stock and if you don’t have this type in stock kindly email me back with the type you have in stock and i will advise the type i need and proceed with my order, and advise the type of payment you accept, Try as much as you can to get back to me asap. Thank you, Tom- Curator’s Comment: Whoa. We get all kinds of these requests!
- Hi again John. I just can’t seem to forget this item….it would be the perfect birthday present for my father. Sorry to hear that you don’t ship products to Norway….and if you’re wondering; full refund already in place :).But I really want this item.I have a forwarding service in NJ (that I use in situations like this)…but it costs alot. How much more would you have to charge me in order to ship directly to Norway? You’re missing out on a lot of customers with a nostalgic memory of the old cabin outhouse toilets…Eirik.
- The Curator himself trying to enter an old outhouse!
- Curator trying to enter outhouse
- Hello ,
I build these days gone by timber frame outhouse kits . I saw your outhouse page online , so just thought I would show you that you are not alone in your interests and also hoping to stir up some interest for a possible sale .
Thank you ,
Frank Wathley
Catskill Timber & Stone Works
www.waterstoneandwood.com
- I have an original signed watercolor entitled “Wildwood Restoration” Period House, Nebraska City – would be happy to send photo. I am interested in selling this painting. Lauren Hancock P.S. My late husband picked up a cute outhouse from an old farm many years ago, He reshaked the roof and we put it in front of our antique store – for ambiance mostly. We sold it by the end of the day – after that we picked up another dozen or so over the years and people loved them. Posing for pictures too! Living in Washington, the wood tends to rot around the bottom so it was tough finding them solid enough to move, but it was fun. I love your website.
- Aircraft slams into 4 buildings
Hard to look at!
Disaster:
Amazing photos show great detail.
The pilot at low level had no control over his aircraft. It narrowly misses a crowd gathered for the air show and slams into four buildings. One can only imagine the horror of the occupants inside those buildings.
- Hello—My name is Sue, and I am writing to find out information on how to sell an original pit outhouse. My father died in December. There is an old outhouse on his property that could be sold. It was sided with vinyl siding years ago to protect and preserve it. The exterior wood is in good condition, and the shingled roof is intact. The interior has wood lathe and plaster. Some of the plaster has deteriorated. This outhouse is a two-seater. I understand that there is an interest in old buildings like this. A historical village might be interested in it, or someone might want it for a potting shed in their garden. Anyway, what is the value in terms of money? What would be a reasonable asking price? How would I go about advertising it? Are there certain magazines or web sites that would be preferable to list in? Any information you can share will be helpful to me in deciding what I am going to do. Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Sue Sincissen
- Hello Sir or Madam, How are you doing? My name is johnson I will like to make enquires of Water Closets
Also i will like to know the kinds of creditcards you accepts as mathod of payment. When i know all this before i can go head with my order.Thank you very much i hope to hear back from you as soon as possible.
Best Regards - Hello my name is Austin and I am a co-Administrator of TractorForum.com. We are a community forum dedicated to and ran by Tractor enthusiasts from around the Globe.
I found your website browsing around and thought it would be a great resource for our users so I would like to exchange links with you. If you’re not the Webmaster please ignore this e-mail or if possible forward it to the Webmaster.
If you would like to participate in the link exchange, email me back with the title and description you would like me to use for your website and I will get it up right away at; http://www.tractorforum.com/links/
I look forward to hearing back from you!
Thanks! Austin
He got hit in the head while fixing the Outhouse!
- You are clearly retaining your youth–creative as well as obnoxious—a winning combination–and I am pissed that I left NY, moved here and am straining to get back there!!
- I live in Pittsburgh, PA in a Historic District in a house that is about 150 years old. My rear house addition is moving away from the main house & I’ve contracted an engineering co to install piers to secure the foundation & stop the movement. When they 1st dug they found a large empty space under the foundation. There are rusted metal supports visible. There is a brick lining of somew sor also visible. Neighbors are guessing That it is an old outhouse. Any suggestions on what I can do/look for to determine that. How deep are outhouses typically? Diameter? Please advise ANY info that you believe relevant in this. I appreciate any time/energy/info you can give to this effort.
Sincerely, Margie C- Curator’s Comment:What they found was most likely a cistern to store rain water. Many old homes collected rain water and then used a pump in the house to bring up the water for washing dishes or doing laundry. Here is how you can tell if you found an old outhouse:
Most of the soil will have a common texture or feel when probing. When the filled hole is encountered that will suddenly change. Usually it feels like a “break”. Suddenly there is usually less resistance and one can feel the clicks and clunks of the material other than dirt used to fill the hole. If you feel something in non rocky soil down below two or three feet, it had to be put there by someone’s actions. Dig a test hole and probe some more. If you are in someone’s yard, (with permission) you should do everything possible to keep the yard clean.There is at least one way to “cheat” in privy location. From about the 1880’s to the 1930’s the Sanborn Maps were published for fire insurance companies. These old maps are to scale and often even show the outhouse as a little tiny square. A privy must be at least a hundred years old to be worth digging. By 1910 almost all bottles were made by machine and much less desirable…and valuable.Sanborn maps are often held by college libraries. Formerly they were on microfilm. They are now available on CD for computers. I don’t know who is selling them or what the costs are. I have seen them for towns as small as 500 people, and for very large cities.
- Curator’s Comment:What they found was most likely a cistern to store rain water. Many old homes collected rain water and then used a pump in the house to bring up the water for washing dishes or doing laundry. Here is how you can tell if you found an old outhouse:
- Dear customer rep, I am rev. Ralph Casey from Ohio, New Philadelphia. I had your email during my search for distributors of Portable Toilet. I am very much interested in buying some of the Portable Toilet equipment. I will like to know if you still sell them and also if you deliver worldwide. thank you.
Best regards,
Rev.Ralph - My wife and I recently bought 80 acres of land, canyon with a creek, plenty of timber, long slopes of basalt scree, and a high rock bluff. It’s in northeast Washington, remote, with a tiny cabin and an outhouse at one end, near the road. Wandering around the place, we are often unable to make it back to the “headquarters” and the outhouse, thus forced to squat & drop. I’ve been planning to build 3 or 4 other outhouses, nice ones, and locate them around the property. I figured I’d find a really nice design, and “mass-produce” them.When I saw the subject outhouse on your site, I knew that I’d found the one I wanted. I’m a pretty decent shade-tree carpenter, and I can draw up plans to build something that looks like that privy, but I thought I’d ask if you might contact the folks who built it (…from the name on the pix, I’d guess it was someone named “R. Tarin”). Or maybe you could ask them if they’d mind dropping me an email. That way, if they aren’t comfortable with my request, they can just decline.Whether or not they feel like writing, I hope you’ll tell them that they have at least one fan who thinks they designed a truly beautiful outhouse.Thanks, Jim F.
- To whom it may concern,
I’m honored to announce that your organization and Website are
featured in a new book that is being published by Andrews McMeel this
October. No Dribbling the Squid: Octopush, Shin Kicking, Elephant Polo
and Other Oddball Sports is a 224-page, full-color book that features
some 70 extreme and eccentric sports from around the world. Sure, it’s
humor, but it’s all factual: fully illustrated accounts of each
competition, meet, and race. I trust you’ll be pleased, if not proud,
at being included among the world’s more unusual competitions.
Feel free to write with ideas or questions. Many thanks for joining
in the ruckus!Best wishes, Michael J. R - In 1976 I purchased 10 acres in the Cascade Mountain Foothills near
Monroe, Washington. First item – the tent. Second item – the outhouse. I
wish I had a pictorial of my privies. But I can describe them all.
My first outhouse was just a hole in the ground with a log stretched
across to firewood bolts to set the back of your legs on. The ladies
found this a little “too open” for their tastes, so I put up a large
picnic umbrella. And I built a small cabin.
That spot was replaced by one similar, but it had sides up about 3 feet
and posts that held a roof. SO much better in the rain, but still not
the answer to my girlfriend’s needs. For easter, I gave Jackie, my
girlfriend, a toilet seat, and she was much happier. But it still wasn’t
what she wanted. Those women are picky creatures.
I built a real nice all-cedar outhouse with shelving inside and an
overhanging roof outside for storage. MUCH better, she said. But I knew
something was missing.
Ran power out there so at night a small, 15 watt bulb would light the
entrance, and inside a 60 watter – enough to read by! I also put an
electric heater in there to pamper her.
Still she snivelled. Finally I hit on the answer – A DOOR!!! She was
finally happy, except when the snow was deep enough that it went down
inside your boots when you wore a bathrobe out there.
Finally, after 28 years I, I built a cedar log home with indoor
plumbing. Nice place. Just not the same. It just doesn’t seem right to
do that inside!
Greg P.
Monroe, Wa.PS – the girlfriend is no longer snivelling, she’s gone! - Hi,
I found your website when researching colors to use to repaint my old
outhouse. Are you still looking for pictures? If so I’ll send you one of
my outhouse. I live in the suburbs of Minneapolis, and have an outhouse in
my backyard, now a tool shed. It was originally from the farmhouse property
on which my house was built. I live in a fairly upscale area and can
gaurantee I am the only person around who has an outhouse!Love your pictures and commentary.Lisa H.