Is it a rest room or an outhouse? Here northwest of the Palouse town of Colfax WA, on Manning Road, a small building sits next to a corrugated aluminum quonset hut used as a barn. The sign on the door indicates, ‘Rest Room,’ but I’d call it an outhouse. A metal rake, tines down, braces the door shut. What’s your choice, room or house?
When I was a very young girl in the early 1950s, my parents built a house on the property they bought that overlooked the Auburn-Kent Green River valley. While they worked building that new house for three years, we lived in a restored three room house that was built by the people who homesteaded the property a long time before that. And while we had water inside, we didn’t have a bathtub or commode. I still remember trips to the outhouse, especially in winter when it was wet or snowy, and bathing in a large aluminum tub that was put on the kitchen floor next to the wood stove for warmth. What about you, have you ever lived without indoor plumbing?
Sharing with ‘Barn Charm #103.’
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In the UK we’d call it a shed ;-)
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Neat little outhouse. Can’t say that I’ve ever been without plumbing except for camping trips. Thank goodness! :)
Definitely an outhouse! Ewww, those things can be soooo nasty. Great photo though!!
I have to laugh at this because I just saw one of these at a local cemetery- it had two doors- men and women… guess they need that designation on dedication day. I surely would never call one of these a “rest room”. :)
Can’t be an outhouse..it doesn’t have a cutout moon on the front ;)
It makes a fab image Madge, but I’d have to be pretty desperate to use it as an outhouse haha!
not a big fan of outhouses, but they are better than nothing! :)
If the user brings a book with them, it’s a “restroom”. And I the dubious pleasure of living with one for a year when I was a kid of 11.
it is an outhouse, they called them that because the potty was out of the house. i also lived with an outhouse in the 50’s in the mountains of KY… did not bother me then but it sure would now. i was afraid of spiders and snakes in the outhouse.. so that bothered me. we did not call one in a house the rest room, it was a bathroom. a rest room was one in a public place in doors and now i am confusing myself.
It’s too big for an outhouse. Maybe they offered a Bidet.
Uh huh, sure Randy…
I’m not going in there!
I bet it’s called a “restroom” for the clueless who’ve never heard of an outhouse. I’ve seen my share of outhouses as a camper but never had the dubious pleasure of living with one.
So. . .if the propped rake keeps it closed from the outside, do you sit and try to hold the door closed while you’re inside or do you sit and enjoy the view??
Lol… Kay you crack me up… there was so little traffic on this road, like just moi, that you could probably go in there and sit for an hour with the door open and no one would ever know you didn’t close the door! ;-)
Love this image, but it does not say ‘welcome’ to me! And yes, we did live without plumbing while building our home in the early 80’s, but we had a fully contained and very large motor home to live in and had a cistern for water. We had no electicity for a year, as our land was on a private road and we had to wait until enough people moved here to all pitch in to get the power lines laid. I would never want to live that way again, but it was worth it in the end.
I’m thinking it’s a shed for garden tools. :)
Could be, I didn’t go look… lol! :-)
Hmmm- one does ponder. Either way- great shot.
Hmmm looks like this is an outhouse.
Kim,USA
Outhouse nice shot!
neat find. (:
Maybe the rest room sign is there for those uncomfortable with the term ‘outhouse.’ But I’d have to say it’s an outhouse. Personally, I think it’s quaint but I’m one of those people who look for these things while driving down a country road. I have a small home with small room and one bathroom. I had some work done in it several years ago and that was the one time I was without plumbing for about 2 days. It was interesting…to say the least :) Great photo!
Nice shot – and, oh my goodness, NO, I’ve never lived without indoor plumbing – and I’ve camped enough to know that I am not fond of using an outhouse. Hahah – fun picture, though!
I love this one! It’s got the charm factor for sure!
This dates me, but we did not have running water out on the farm until I was 8 years old. We had a ‘two holer’ down the garden path, and a bath in a metal tub in front of the wood burning stove on Sundays! Haha!
Love your flower photo below!
xo Catherine
Have I been without indoor plumbing? Never. And I don’t plan on starting now!
It’s an outhouse for sure. I’ve never lived without indoor plumbing but we did have an outhouse when I was growing up. It was easier to run outside in the summer than to run up the stairs. I used to know someone that would sit in one with the door open.
I love this image!!!
oh i’d hate to have to take a trip to the outhouse in inclement weather or in the dark…we sure have it good now don’t we?!
Yes, I agree, we do! ;-)
WE call it “Out House” in my neck of the woods! Great shot. I grew up with indoor plumbing…but had lots of relatives who did not.
Restroom, rest room, bathroom, it’s still an outhouse by any other name!
It does have charm!
Well, definitely an outhouse. Here in Fairbanks they are quite common, and many people choose to live without indoor plumbing. You can rent a dry cabin a lot cheaper and many young people choose to go that way. It’s good for the landlord too because his tenants can’t let the fire go out and freeze the plumbing. Then of course there are the people who come to Alaska and are all excited about living the Alaskan experience. There’s also people who choose to live off the grid many miles from any public utilities. Oh, and that door–many do not have doors at all, but foam toilet seats are the high tech way to keep your tush from freezing in the wintertime. An added benefit in the winter is a chance to see the Northern Lights on one of those late night trips. Personally I prefer my indoor plumbing–no cold to deal with in the winter and no mosquitoes to deal with in the summer. The older I get the more I require personal luxuries.
I’ve never lived w/o indoor plumbing, but I’ve heard lots & lots of stories… I think this lil one is an outhouse, not restroom… restroom insinuates a restful room & an outhouse (being outdoors) is anything but… LoL! Can I get an amen?! heheheee
Thanks for joining, Madge =)
Oh yes I like modern conveniences now lol b
My grandparents had an outhouse for years. I was young, so it was an adventure more than a nuisance, but I was afraid of the wasps in the hot afternoons.
It was quite an event when they finally got indoor plumbing!
I would not be doing any resting in that room so I would say outhouse. I have never lived without plumbing except when I’ve been camping. I don’t even like the port-a-johns with the air freshener, seat covers, and Purell. But sometimes there’s really no choice. Whatever this is, I always like photos of old wood buildings.
I vote outhouse, but either way it’s a nice photo