re: Just some interesting pics.. because.

quote:

---

A double decker outhouse sounds absurd to a generation weaned on indoor plumbing. (Hah hah, peepul on floor 1 get poop on hed.) But this "skyscrapper" is no joke. Its upper- and lower-floor holes are discreetly placed on opposite sides, and a second, inset wall on the ground floor forms an invisible chute. Droppings from above plummet unobstructed and out of sight, although not out of earshot.

Samuel Gammill built the outhouse at the rear of his general store. There were apartments upstairs, and the second floor of the building connected to the second floor of the outhouse across a short ramp, giving 19th century tenants a private bathroom. The store was torn down in 1984, but the outhouse was carefully spared. Gays had been promoting it as a tourist attraction since the 1960s.

The outhouse stands today, on a patch of green grass in a little park. It's in fine shape, thanks to the late Gene Goodwin, president of Gays' village board, who championed its preservation. The park is named after Gene, according to its sign, "in memory of a devoted promoter of the Historical Two Story Outhouse." He reportedly wanted to build a stairway so that visitors could admire the view from the second floor, but that hasn't happened. The outhouse is padlocked to keep out vandals and those who might be tempted to fully experience this interactive structure.

---