08/29/2026
I just finished making six of these outhouses, handcrafted from coal, and they’re headed to the Kentucky Coal Museum in Benham, Kentucky, under the guidance of Southeast Community and Technical College.
The outhouse was once a very important part of everyday life. Before indoor plumbing became common, the bathroom was literally “out” of the house, which is where the term outhouse came from. Most were small structures located a short distance away from the home, usually over a pit or privy. They provided a simple and practical way to handle human waste before modern sewer systems and indoor bathrooms became available.
And believe it or not, the outhouse has quite a history. They were common in rural homes, farms, mining communities and just about anywhere that indoor plumbing wasn’t an option. Some had one hole, some had two, and families developed all kinds of ways to make that little building as private and comfortable as possible.
Of course, there are also a few things about outhouses that probably don’t need to go in the history book.
And if you’re old enough to remember using one, you probably have a story or two. And if you’ve never been in one, well… some of y’all have never been in an outhouse, and it shows.
I’m proud that these little pieces of Appalachian history, handcrafted from Kentucky coal, will soon be part of the Kentucky Coal Museum. It’s pretty neat knowing that something as simple as an old outhouse can bring back memories, start conversations and give younger generations a glimpse into how folks lived before we had all the modern conveniences we take for granted today.
