Pittsburgh Potty History

A Pittsburgh toilet, or Pittsburgh potty, is a basement toilet configuration commonly found in the area of Pittsburgh in the United States. It consists of an ordinary flush toilet with no surrounding walls. "I think it may just be that the mythology in Pittsburgh is so strong that it made its way into the lexicon," Martin said.

So if you have a toilet in your basement, consider it a fun piece of history. Pittsburgh real estate agent Stephen Cummings added to this explanation of the basement potty's origins, published in a different WESA article. He told WESA, which has done a real public service covering the Pittsburgh Potty beat, that he thought the toilets could have been remnants of basements used as living quarters for servants of.

Early 20th century homes in Pittsburgh and other northeastern cities have a feature that's long been the butt of jokes: a lone toilet in the basement. The history of Pittsburgh is full of interesting facts and hometown tidbits. This is one for the scholars.

Here are three stories that give an honest and revealing look into the basement toilet, an attraction that is common to most older homes in this area. Apparently, it is a unique local rest stop, and it has an official designation. It is called the Pittsburgh Potty!

The story behind Pittsburgh's first public restrooms and why they were forgotten has deep ties to civil rights history. Basement toilets are a pervasive feature of Pittsburgh homes. The Pittsburgh Potty "Pittsburgh potty" or "Pittsburgh toilet" is the name given to a free-standing toilet found in a basement, not enclosed by walls.

It's a Pittsburgh Potty. Ray Sager wrote in for Your Pittsburgh's "You Wanted to Know" segment and asked: "I would like to know the history of the Pittsburgh toilet and how it came about.". The Pittsburgh Potty dates back to the early 20th century, when the city was booming with industry.

Steelworkers, miners, and other laborers would come home filthy from a day on the job.