Privy

The outhouse, or privy, meaning "place of privacy," served as the outdoor toilet for the farm family and was often used long after running water was piped into the house. It stood over a three-to-six-foot-deep hole and would be moved when the hole became full. Inside were one, two, or three holes cut into a raised wood plank with hinged lids, including a smaller hole for children. Newspapers, old catalogue pages, or corn husks took the place of modern toilet paper. Lime was sprinkled into the holes to reduce odor, and ventilation openings, sometimes shaped like a crescent moon, heart, or star, were often cut into the upper part of the door and walls.

Maryland · United States