Pittsburgh toilet
Encyclopedia
A Pittsburgh toilet is a common fixture in pre-World War II
houses built in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States
. It consists of a toilet
in the basement
of the house with no surrounding walls. As Pittsburgh was historically an industrial town, which is still called "The Steel City" today, the purpose of this toilet was for workers in the steel or mining industries to cleanse themselves immediately upon entering their home. To serve this purpose, most of these toilets are paired with a crude basement shower apparatus and large sink, which often doubles as a laundry basin. Also, because western Pennsylvania is a steep topographical zone, many basements have their own entryway, allowing homeowners to enter from their yard or garage, cleanse themselves promptly in their basement, and then ascend their basement stairs refreshed.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
houses built in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It consists of a toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
in the basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
of the house with no surrounding walls. As Pittsburgh was historically an industrial town, which is still called "The Steel City" today, the purpose of this toilet was for workers in the steel or mining industries to cleanse themselves immediately upon entering their home. To serve this purpose, most of these toilets are paired with a crude basement shower apparatus and large sink, which often doubles as a laundry basin. Also, because western Pennsylvania is a steep topographical zone, many basements have their own entryway, allowing homeowners to enter from their yard or garage, cleanse themselves promptly in their basement, and then ascend their basement stairs refreshed.
External links
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article mentions Pittsburgh toilet
- Pittsburgh Magazine article on the "Pittsburgh Potty"