In a message dated 01/14/2000 1:22:06 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> > In a message dated 01/13/2000 4:48:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>  > [log in to unmask] writes:
>  >
>  > > At the rear of the property is the most lovely bit of remaining
> integrity,
>  > >  the outhouse, ...  It is situated right off the rear corner of the
> house,
>  > next to a
>  > >  rear door on a historic infill addition, so that one would only have
to
>  > >  expose oneself to the elemen the briefest of moments.  ...
>
>  Having lived in an outhouse only situation i can see the advantage of this
> set-up
>  on a cold night..
>  but I cringe thinking what the smell adjacent to the rear door must have
> been
>  like on a hot summer night
>  Guess that cross ventilation was out of the question....

Even in some of the really early plumbing installations, they still hadn't
figured out how to keep the sewer gasses from backing up into the house, so I
imagine it was probably a good idea to keep the facilities out of the house.

Dan-
Do you have any idea-- is this a non-mechanical outhouse, or might it have
originally had running water? This would be an even cooler discovery if it
originally had running water. I've been looking for a picture of a set-up
like this for a while. I did research on an Italianate townhouse in Trenton
that I believe originally had an attached 'water-closet' that was only
accessible from the outside. I've read about them, but I've never seen an
example in person.

-Heidi