Last week, I was out scouting a semi-abandoned farmhouse in the outer boroughs dating to the early 1900s. After touring the main house, we came to this barn/shed in the back…
…and my guide asked if I wanted to see something neat. With that, he opened the door on the right…
…revealing quite possibly the last remaining authentic outhouse in New York City!
And it’s a three-seater!
At the time, I assumed the seats had been nailed down, but looking at my photograph, it appears they’re on hinges. Could the last outhouse in NYC still be functioning? Looks like I’m going to have to make another trip to find out…
-SCOUT
PS – The Tenement Museum has an outhouse, but it’s a re-creation.
PPS – Yes, yes, I know, ALL of New York City is an outhouse. Cute.
Most Boy Scout reservations have outhouses as well. I’m pretty sure there’s one on Staten Island.
Serious question. Is it really an outhouse if it has a window that can be seen through both ways?
In which outer borough is this outhouse?
I haven’t checked in the past, and I’ll look around next time I’m there, but I would think there’s one at the Queens County Farm Museum.
An indoor outhouse! They must have been rich!
Scout, this is pretty epic. Please tell us what borough this is in, so we can judge said borough accordingly!
@ Ben Reynolds: it’s a 3-seater…I don’t think modesty was forefront in the design! LOL
What no Sears & Roebuck or Monkey Wards catalog? Y’all must be livin in some tall cotton up there to afford a 3 holer!
Dude! Monkey Ward’s is long gone and Sears probably isn’t far behind. Pun intended.
The outhouse cleansing devices of choice, prior to the development of toilet paper, were dried corn cobs.
I’m new to your site and I’m LOVING it!! Thanks for all the great stories, info and photos! I’ve been in NYC for 10 years and after going through some of your site I really feel like I’ve wasted some of that time! I’m planning to come out on Monday night (in Soho) so I hope there’s room
I realize it may sound like I was saying I wasted time going through your site, haha! I mean that I’ve seen all these interesting spots/stories/photos I feel like I haven’t taken advantage of all the city has to offer. It’s truly inspirational, thank you for that.
I love a good outhouse. When I was living in San Diego, around 2001 or 2, before they completely redid the area east of 5th Ave. for Petco park, the city used to have all these old warehouse-y type buildings. One of the greatest Army/Navy surplus stores used to be in one of them. I’m sure it’s long gone now, but I digress. I was at a party in one of the old warehouse/lofts and went out back to smoke a cigarette and there right in front of me and right in the middle of downtown San Diego, was an old outhouse. Naturally I had to piss down the hole to see if it worked. It did.
How do you know if an outhouse does not work?
a pee grows in brooklyn.
Perhaps an emoticon at the end of my comment would have made it clearer.
It’s a hole that you piss or shit into. How could it not work.
I am so happy I found this. Thank you.