Double Outhouse

The original company-built houses erected by the Hyde-Murphy Company for the Coal Company  did not have indoor bathrooms. Frequently, a double outhouse would service two neighbors and their families such as this one. Outhouses were periodically cleaned by men called "honey dippers." Some residents were creative in modernizing these outdoor privies such as wallpapering the inside. Some residents provided store-bought toilet paper especially for their visiting out-of-town relatives or friends.

Photo: collection of the author.