A Privy for Dignitaries

In 1870, Henry Bowen invited Ulysses S. Grant to be the guest speaker for his first Fourth of July celebration in Woodstock, Connecticut. Family tradition says that he built this outdoor privy in preparation for the event. It is connected to the existing woodshed, located just behind the service ell of Roseland Cottage. The privy contains two separate rooms with wooden bench style seats that open to the ground beneath. Each room has a door for privacy. They are located beyond a larger room, perhaps where a washstand with bowl was placed. There is a hatch door on the lower west wall of the privy, providing outside access for maintenance.