A Cottage on Lauderdale Lakes -- the site of an outhouse to be restored.
Hedge, 2019
Interior of original outhouse, June, 2008
Front gable end of original outhouse, June, 2008. The notch in the rafter is about 36 inches from peak.
Many details were photographed.
Materials that could not be salvaged were burned, either on the burn pile --
or in the incinerator.
The remains.
There are enough siding boards to side the entire front and the rear gable end. Here are the front boards laid out on the boathouse roof/deck.
Some details:
Framing for the front wall and three rafters have been completed (in Byrnes Mill) as of 6/21/08. All sill plates will be pressure treated. Original footprint was 4 ft. wide x 5 ft. deep; the depth will be increased to 6 ft.
Original door swung in. "Restored" version will swing out, providing more room for storage. Roof will be green asphalt shingles -- to match cottage and garage.
New siding (on side walls and non-gable portion of back) will be T1-11 paneling, possibly installed horizontally.
Sidewalls height = 7'.
Roof pitch = 45 degrees. (12/12)
Corner boards and trim were, and will be, 3 inches wide.
Door was/will be 28" x 6'-0".
Three rafter pairs.
Roof will overhang front and back 6".
Seat box depth = 18", height = 16" (above floor.) The top of the seat box will be hinged, making a good place to hide your "valuables."
What about that cutout of the moon on the door?
A moon and stars were used in colonial times to designate the sex of the outhouses. Originally the moon was for women and the star was for the men. But the men's outhouse was usually in such disrepair, everyone wanted to use the women's outhouse. ...so, eventually they quit using the stars altogether.
I was telling a fellow about rebuilding this outhouse and he told me about an uncle of his who said when he was young and it was really cold, he could run to the outhouse, do his business, and get back to the house before the screen door bounced the second time.
Jake supervises
We took the three rafters, two facia board assemblies, and front and back framing to the cottage where we finished building them -- using the original drop siding. Then we built two sides using modern panels and set all on four leveled concrete bloack. Here's the second roof panel being put in place.
Grant installs the pre-fabbed facia boards.
The entire roof was covered with shingles after this photo was taken. The remains of the door are now (July 10) in Byrnes Mill. Grant will make a new door using much of the old wood, then install it later this ('09) year.
June, 2010 -- The door is still not on its hinges. Hope to place the pavers, level the structure and finish it up in July.
February, 2011 -- Stopped by the cottage while on a winter WI trip. (Click on image to see a larger one.)
A note: The original outhouse was still in use when I first visited LL16 in 1953, and I've been told Stu's dad, (George B.) made it his very first stop when arriving by car from Chicago or Elmhurst.
-=Grant=-
