R4VI's Blog

People seem to dismiss or make fun of things that make them embarrassed or vulnerable. That is how it is with outhouses. One serious thing about outhouses is the half moon shape commonly cut out of the top of the door as a window. Some say a moon or sun was a symbol to distinguish between the ladies outhouse and the mens place. Im not sure that many households bothered to have two. When you had an outhouse, there probably were no plumbers in Denver or elsewhere. An outhouse was a good item to pretty up. There are still places in the United States where tourists can go on outhouse tours. They are not still in use or theyd have to be moved frequently. But in Tennessee or Kentucky or West Virginia among other states, you can view a unique art form. All kinds of things are added to, painted on, or carved onto outhouses. One has a roof that looks like the top of a castle. Another features beautiful paintings of animals (more colorful than but reminiscent of cave men decorating their walls). At one site the outhouse is built to look like its twostory. The top floor is labeled faculty and the lower seating area is labeled for students. Thomas Jefferson built two octagonal outhouses at his retreat in rural Virginia. Today you can get plumbing help from Denver plumbing but youre on your own for decorating.