Outhouse history?

God you make me laugh. The crescent moon was always the sign for an outhouse. But I don’t know why.

It’s just something my strange mind was wondering! There must be a story behind it!

Well, sticking your ass out at someone was considered mooning? Maybe a half moon is just sticking out a cheek?

I think I will research it!!!! There has to be a real reason!

@Jillybean I’ll do some digging. :)

According to www.straightdope.com the symbols on outhouses date back to Colonial times when the outhouse at the school houses were designated for girls and boys with the girls outhouse having the crescent moon shape and boys a cut out of the sun. Now….I wonder if this is where the term “mooning” came from? Maybe3 the boys were “mooning” into the girls out house. haha

Plus, the reason for carving out either symbol should be obvious. Much needed ventilation !

They just covered this on NPR the show “How to do everything”. I can’t link right now I’m on my phone but you can find the podcast on the npr website.

I remember going to an auction, or something when I was little where there was his and hers outhouses. They both had a moon, but they pointed in opposite directions.

There’s a complete discussion of outhouses and decoration here.

The outhouses are still there with the church I attended growing up, and I’ll check to see if there are cut-outs on the doors. Yes, there was a men’s and a women’s facility in active use up into the 1970’s.

Thanks for that link. It was fascinating reading and subsequently led me to a second page on two-story outhouses.

Since I couldn’t imagine why such a thing was necessary nor how it worked for the person stuck on the first story, I just had to click and read that page as well and it was a really fascinating read as well as quite informative. And it all made sense.

That’s what I love about Fluther. You learn something new all the time.

Thanks @ibstubro :)

@Jillybean Apparently the design thing is an internet legend. It was for a little light and ventilation. Most homes only had one outhouse and they chose whatever design they liked. Makes sense, you can’t afford inside plumbing why build two outhouses?

Here is the outhouse episode.

http://howtodoeverything.org/post/125525862055/this-week-we-tell-you-how-to-choose-the-best-name

I stumbled onto that site, and I enjoyed it, too, @Buttonstc.

I’ve seen a good number of 2-seater outhouses in proportion to the number of them left. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that one outhouse had separate accommodations for men and women, albeit voluntary.

Remember folding a dollar bill to make George look like a mushroom?
I folded, so to speak, the above response and got this:
I’ve seen a good number 2. outhouses numb them. It’s not reasonable.

Hmm, well, it was funny to me.