A Stinky Subject 

I attend the Macedonia Church homecoming most years. One year,  two of my young granddaughters were with me. They needed to go the bathroom, so I took them outside to the outhouse. Their response to going inside that tiny,  smelly house in August was “Ewwwww!” They opted to wait until we got home. 

One thing I don’t miss about my childhood are trips to the outhouse. Today’s porta-potties, in my opinion, are awful, but compared to the old-fashioned outhouse they’re like sitting on a throne. 

We had it a little easier than our ancestors, considering modern toilet paper wasn’t invented until the mid-1800s. Even then poor people often relied on catalogue pages, newspapers, or even corn cobs or leaves for...you know. 

The lowly outhouse, a structure that was once a common sight, is now becoming a relic of the past. There are still outhouses standing in our area, mainly around cemeteries,  churches, and old house sites. 

The first outhouse was probably built around 500 years ago, replacing the highly unsanitary latrine of the 1500s. 

During President Franklin Roosevelt’s time, his wife Eleanor adamantly supported improvements to outhouses. Part of the WPA’s mission was to replace dilapidated outhouses in the rural United States. With $5, three workers, and 20 hours, a new outhouse could be constructed. These new structures were given the nickname “The Eleanor.”

If you’ve ever seen a moon or star shape cut into an outhouse door, each signified whether it was for men or women. The star shape was symbolic for the Greek god Apollo, and was for men. The moon shape symbolized the goddess Luna, and was women only. 

Two-story outhouses actually existed. If you’re thinking, “Man, I’d hate to be on that bottom level,” the upstairs portion was built a little farther back so its contents didn’t spill into the bottom floor. 

One of the happiest times of my life was when I was around 11. Mom and daddy got an FHA loan and had a new house built with indoor plumbing and a bathroom.