12 January 2010

Door View from Poplar Forest, Virginia


Thought I would post a photograph of the 'outhouse' at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. Quite a nice little building but,  a distance from the main house. Needless to say, bedpans were used in case of emergencies and inclimate weather conditions.

Poplar Forest is located east of the Roanoke Valley area in Forest, Virginia. It is one of two homes/retreats that Jefferson built during his lifetime. The other, Monticello, is located just outside Charlottesville proper. Do click through to visit both sites. Both web pages are excellent. I visit both Poplar Forest and Monticello at least once a year.

This is my third submission for Window Views and Doors Too . Please join in this fab meme hosted by the lovely Mary Tomaselli on Wednesday/Thursday.

21 comments:

Daryl said...

A brick outhouse .. I guess that was considered gentrification!

Barb said...

Erin - How funny! I have a poster in my bathroom with the title "Nature Calls" - a montage of unusual and colorful outhouses. Unfortunately - no brick ones!

Country Girl said...

I visited Monticello once and would love to return. It was so interesting. There was so much more I wanted to see.
Nice outhouse here!

A New England Life said...

Now THAT'S an outhouse! Wonder what it looks like on the inside????

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

I've been to Monticello, but never Poplar Forest. What a quaint and quite stately outhouse. Beautiful photo, too.

Thanks for sharing,

~Lisa

a quiet life said...

i would love this as a garden shed~

Carolyn Ford said...

There really are brick outhouses...I always thought that was strictly a joke...this is much nicer looking (on the outside anyway) than the ones I have seen, which I avoid if at all possible!

Anonymous said...

that's an outhouse? how pleasing to the eyes it is. love the brick material. we both have doors today and both have red bricks too.

Kim, USA said...

Nice picture of the outhouse. Can't help but wonder what is inside the outhouse for sure it has great history about this place. Thanks for sharing!

W&D:ThriftyStore

Anonymous said...

I find this fascinating. I grew up with outside toilets that were known by various names and the majority were wooden structures with two holes. I never saw two people in one but in emergencies I suspect it happened. Some had a pee trough at one end. A sort of "V" shaped board on an incline that drained past one of the holes into the vault.

I have seen nicer outhouses than this brick one Tom Jefferson had. I know the Kingery family hereabouts had one large one built out of limestone and it had a tiled roof. It also had three holes and a pee trough and it had a door that closed and could be locked. It was under a lovely concord grape arbor and you could, actually, set on the toilet seat and eat grapes from the vine.

La Belette Rouge said...

I bet that was the height of chic back in the day!

Gemma Wiseman said...

I have never seen an outhouse shaped like this one and with steps leading up to it! Great shot!

Unknown said...

It's a fancy outhouse, nothing like any others I have seen. :)

Rajesh said...

Very nice building.

Windows @ Jodhpur, Blue City

Gena D said...

Wonderful door!!
Gena @ thinking aloud
a photoblog

maryt/theteach said...

Erin, this is the nicest and most beautifully photographed outhouse I've ever seen! And thanks for calling me "lovely" - a very nice compliment! :)

VioletSky said...

After going through the website of the house, what else could he have created but this beautiful brick octagonal outhouse! Amazing that it wasn't destroyed

Mental P Mama said...

I've never been there! Must put that on my list!

Gattina said...

That looks so romantic !

Anonymous said...

What dreamy shots. Love the brick outhouse...

Janet, said...

Love the outhouse! Looks nothing like the ones I grew up with. I've been to Monticello before, I loved it, it's a beautiful place.