Potty & Pooping Practices of Past Presidents

We’re all in the same boat, or everybody poops are sometimes said to level a playing field. Yes, those boats and toilets have changed quite a bit since the first United States President sat on one of three privies. It wasn’t as if he had the luxury of three elegant bathrooms. This was basically an outhouse with three holes. You read right; it has been historically verified that the bathroom that we would equate to an outhouse used by President Washington was large enough to accommodate and had three undivided cut-out holes. The reason for three holes instead of one is not apparent. The question has been asked, 

“Did George Washington poop with friends?” 

If the answer is yes, then our early Americans or at least the first American President was a lot less squeamish than modern-day Americans about sharing what we consider personal details of our lives.

Private Plumbing

Even though the Whitehouse did not even have pumped water system until 1820, brought by John Quincy Adams (6th president) Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President, had indoor plumbing of some kind in his private home, the Monticello. There were three indoor bathrooms, all individual rooms with plumbing that relied on gravity to take waste to a sub-cellar and ended 125 feet outside the house.

Whitehouse Upgrades

The pumped water system added to the Whitehouse in 1820 was for the gardens, and running water for the indoors, including a bathing room, was added when Andrew Jackson was president. However, proper flushing toilets were not enjoyed in the Whitehouse until the 13th President, Millard Fillmore. Naturally, the next president, Franklin Pierce, (1853-1857) had to one-up him with a remodel that included having the water closet and tub in the same room.

So while it may be true that we all pull down our pants and sit on the toilet, it is also true that not all toilets are created equal.

(None of the pictures used are historically accurate.)