Throne Alone: The Curious Case of Minnesota's Basement Toilets

Uncovering the history, purpose, and future of those mysteriously exposed porcelain fixtures lurking beneath Twin Cities homes

"Wait, is that... just a toilet? In the middle of the basement? With no walls??" —Every out-of-state homebuyer touring a pre-WWII Minnesota home

Quick Takeaways

• The exposed basement toilet (sometimes called a Pittsburgh Potty) is a common architectural feature in pre-WWII homes throughout the Midwest, including Minnesota's Twin Cities.
• Despite popular theories about coal deliverymen or industrial workers using them, these toilets primarily served as emergency overflow valves for early sewer systems.
• Early 20th-century urban infrastructure couldn't always handle heavy usage, making basement toilets practical solutions to prevent messy backups in finished living spaces.
• Today's homeowners can remove, enclose, preserve, or repurpose these historical fixtures depending on their preferences and renovation plans.
• These quirky features tell important stories about Minnesota's urban development, immigration history, and practical adaptations to northern living.

The Mystery of the Exposed Throne

You've seen it during a house tour. That startling discovery as you descend the basement stairs of that charming 1920s Minneapolis bungalow or 1910s St. Paul Craftsman – a toilet, fully plumbed and functional, sitting brazenly exposed in the middle of the basement. No walls. No privacy. Just a porcelain throne awaiting a visitor brave enough to use it in full view of the washing machine and holiday decoration storage.

If you're from Minnesota or have lived here long enough, you might barely register these basement fixtures anymore. But for newcomers to our northern housing stock, these mysterious toilets prompt immediate questions and nervous laughter. Why would anyone install a toilet with no privacy? Who would use such a thing? And why are they so common throughout Minneapolis, St. Paul, and inner-ring suburbs?

As Twin Cities realtors with copious exposure to the old homes that make our architecture so wonderful, we've fielded these questions hundreds of times. The exposed basement toilet represents a fascinating intersection of practical necessity, early urban infrastructure challenges, and midwestern sensibility. Let's flush out the real story behind these peculiar plumbing fixtures.

Origins: When Did These Basement Toilets First Appear?

The exposed basement toilet emerged during a critical period in Minnesota's development history: approximately 1890-1930. This timing is no coincidence. The early 1900s saw Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth explode almost overnight into sizeable cities as new buildings rose in a dizzying array of styles. The Twin Cities were experiencing unprecedented population growth as immigrants flocked to the region for industrial and agricultural opportunities.

This growth coincided with another major development: indoor plumbing. By the turn of the century, urban homes were increasingly being built with indoor bathrooms—a remarkable luxury after generations of outhouse use. The Victorians discovered that toilets flushed better when gravity forced water into the bowl, so they mounted tanks high on the wall above the toilet. This early plumbing technology was revolutionary but still evolving.

Municipal sewer systems were similarly in their infancy. Many cities quickly set up plumbing systems in the late 1800s and early 1900s without modern plumbing knowledge. As cities grew fast, these older systems did not always stand up to the pressure of heavier use. This created a perfect storm of conditions that would lead to the basement toilet phenomenon.

The Great Debate: What Were They Really For?

Ask any long-time Minnesotan about basement toilets, and you'll likely hear one of these explanations:

1. The Coal Delivery Theory: They were installed for coal deliverymen who needed facilities while making basement deliveries without tracking coal dust through the home.
2. The Industrial Worker Theory: They allowed factory workers, miners, or other laborers to clean up in the basement before entering the main living areas.
3. The Servant's Toilet Theory: They provided facilities for domestic help without requiring them to use the family's main bathroom.

While these explanations make intuitive sense and may reflect how some toilets were eventually used, historical and architectural evidence points to a more practical primary purpose—and it's all about preventing disasters.

The Real Purpose: Flood Protection and Early Plumbing Challenges

Architectural historians and plumbing experts now generally agree that the basement toilet primarily served as an emergency overflow mechanism for unreliable early sewer systems.

"As cities developed, there were (sewer) problems ... they would have backups," explains architect William J. Martin. "When a sewer backs up, it backs up into buildings. So the idea was to put a fixture in the basement where the line came into the street, so if there was a sewer backup, it would go there instead of the main house."

This explanation reveals the ingenious practicality of the basement toilet. Here's how it worked:

1. Early sewer systems were prone to backups, especially during heavy rains or periods of high usage.
2. When sewage backed up, it would rise through the plumbing line and emerge from the lowest fixture in the home.
3. If that lowest fixture was a nicely tiled bathroom on the first floor, a sewage overflow would cause extensive damage to finished living spaces.
4. By installing a toilet directly over the sewer line in the unfinished basement with its concrete floor, any backup would emerge there first—making cleanup much simpler.

As Martin explains: "The toilet is the largest fixture that's connected to the system. So if there's going to be a backup, it will come out of the toilet in the basement. If you put it on a floor drain, what will happen is, as the sewer backs up it will continue to back up, fill up the plumbing once and you'll have the same problems upstairs. You need to give it the simplest way to get out and that's what they did."

In essence, these toilets weren't primarily meant to be used—they were installed as safety valves. This explains why they were typically placed in highly visible locations near the sewer line rather than in corners or more private spaces.

Regional Patterns: Why Minnesota?

While often called "Pittsburgh Potties" due to their prevalence in that industrial city, these exposed toilets appear throughout the urban Midwest, Northeast, and parts of Canada. But why are they so common in Minnesota specifically?

Several factors made our region particularly prone to adopting this architectural feature:

1. Climate Considerations

Minnesota's freeze-thaw cycles and heavy precipitation created significant challenges for early sewer systems. Spring thaws could overwhelm municipal sewers, increasing the likelihood of backups. Basement toilets provided essential protection during these weather-related strains on infrastructure.

2. Rapid Urban Growth

Minneapolis became the world's flour milling capital in the late 19th century, driving explosive urban growth. This rapid development meant that infrastructure sometimes struggled to keep pace with population increases, making basement overflow protection particularly valuable.

3. Immigrant Building Practices

The Twin Cities' housing stock was heavily influenced by German, Scandinavian, and Eastern European building traditions. These cultures brought practical approaches to home construction that prioritized function over conventional aesthetics when necessary. Many immigrant families also maximized limited space by using basements as multi-purpose areas.

4. Industrial Labor Force

While not the primary reason for their installation, the practical secondary use of these toilets by laborers made them particularly valued in Minnesota's industrial communities. Iron miners, flour mill workers, railroad employees, and brewery workers did often use these facilities to clean up before entering family living spaces.

The Evolution: How Basement Toilets Changed Over Time

As plumbing technology improved through the 20th century, the practical necessity of the basement toilet diminished. Modern sewer systems with backflow preventers and more reliable pipes significantly reduced the risk of sewage backups. However, many of these fixtures remain in older homes for several reasons:

1. Retrofitting Challenges: Removing a functional toilet and capping the sewer line properly requires professional plumbing work that many homeowners chose to defer.
2. Practical Utility: Despite their original purpose, basement toilets proved convenient for children playing outside, adults working in the yard, or during basement renovations.
3. Historical Preservation: As awareness of these fixtures' historical significance grows, some homeowners choose to preserve them as conversation pieces and authentic period details.
4. Transitional Use: During mid-century basement finishing projects, many homeowners built walls around the existing toilet rather than removing it, creating the sometimes oddly-placed basement bathrooms we see today.

Interesting Variations: Minnesota Basement Toilet Examples

In my near-decade as a realtor showing homes throughout the Twin Cities, I've encountered more open-air basement toilets than I can tally. Here are some notable examples shared by historical preservationists, home inspectors, and longtime residents:

The Northeast Minneapolis Coal Chute Companion

According to the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, several 1900s-era homes near Logan Park feature basement toilets positioned directly beside coal chutes. This placement suggests that while overflow protection was the primary function, convenience for coal deliverymen became a valued secondary benefit. Some current owners have preserved these as historical features, as noted in Rethos' documentation (formerly known as the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota) of historic home features.

The St. Paul Brewery Worker Special

The Ramsey County Historical Society has documented several homes in St. Paul's West 7th neighborhood (historically home to brewery workers) featuring basement toilets paired with rudimentary shower fixtures—essentially a pipe extending from the ceiling with a shower head attached. (During showings, I jokingly call these "prison showers.") These more elaborate setups, according to local historians, were likely adaptations for industrial workers who needed to clean up before entering the main home.

The Dual-Purpose Laundry Station

Home inspectors throughout the Twin Cities frequently report finding homes in Como Park and Highland Park neighborhoods where the basement toilet was installed near large laundry sinks, as documented in Rethos' survey of historic home utility spaces. This practical pairing made the basement a functional utility area where messy household tasks could be completed away from living spaces.

The Prohibition-Era Adaptations

According to Minnesota Historical Society archives, some Prohibition-era homes featured basement toilets that were later hidden behind false walls—seemingly to provide facilities for those visiting basement speakeasies. While not the original intent of these fixtures, this creative adaptation shows how homeowners repurposed them during different historical periods.

Modern Homeowner Options: What Should You Do With Yours?

If you've purchased a Minnesota home with an exposed basement toilet, you have several options to consider:

1. Preservation as a Conversation Piece

Many homeowners embrace these quirky historical fixtures, sometimes adding humorous signage, vintage-appropriate decorations, or even building half-walls that preserve the historical appearance while adding minimal privacy. This approach honors your home's history while creating a unique talking point.

2. Enclosure Within a Proper Bathroom

Bathroom remodeling costs in Minneapolis typically range from modest updates to complete renovations, and incorporating an existing basement toilet into a newly constructed bathroom can be a cost-effective approach to adding a basement bathroom. Many plumbing companies specialize in converting these exposed fixtures into proper bathrooms during basement finishing projects.

3. Removal and Capping

If the fixture doesn't fit your plans for the space, professional plumbers can remove the toilet and properly cap the sewer line. This should always be done by licensed professionals to ensure compliance with Minnesota plumbing codes and prevent future issues.

4. Upgrade to Modern Standards

For homes with basement plumbing challenges, modern options include up-flushing systems which use tubes to push water into the main sewage line, or sewage-ejector systems that work similarly to septic tanks. These solutions can transform an awkwardly placed historical toilet into a properly functioning modern bathroom.

The Heritage Value: Why These Quirky Fixtures Matter

While often viewed as merely odd or amusing, Minnesota's basement toilets represent important historical evidence of:

1. Urban Development Challenges: They tell the story of rapidly growing cities grappling with infrastructure needs.
2. Practical Problem-Solving: They demonstrate the ingenious solutions homebuilders developed to address everyday challenges.
3. Domestic Life Evolution: They mark the transition period between outhouses and fully modern indoor plumbing.
4. Immigrant Influences: They reflect the practical, function-first sensibilities of the immigrant communities who built much of the Twin Cities' housing stock.

As with other seemingly bizarre home features like milk doors, dumbwaiters, and boot scrapers, these toilets served important purposes in their era, even if those purposes seem strange to modern sensibilities.

Final Thoughts: Embracing Our Quirky Architectural Heritage

Minnesota's exposed basement toilets may prompt laughter or confusion, but they stand as humble monuments to our region's practical ingenuity and adaptation to challenging conditions. Whether you choose to preserve, enclose, or remove yours, understanding its historical significance can deepen your connection to your home's past and the generations who lived there before you.

These unassuming porcelain fixtures tell stories of urban growth, immigrant craftsmanship, industrial labor, and practical solutions to everyday problems. They remind us that our homes aren't just structures—they're historical documents revealing how previous generations lived, worked, and solved problems.

So the next time you show a visitor your exposed basement toilet and see their bewildered expression, you can share its fascinating history—and your place in the continuing story of Minnesota's unique architectural heritage.

Works Cited

Architect William J. Martin. "Architect Offers Explanation For Pittsburgh's Basement Toilets." 90.5 WESA. 2017.

TODAY. "What the heck is a 'Pittsburgh potty' and why is it in the basement?" https://www.today.com/home/what-heck-pittsburgh-potty-why-it-your-basement-t117879. December 2019.

Family Handyman. "Here's Why Old Houses Have a Random Toilet in the Basement." https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/heres-why-old-houses-have-a-random-toilet-in-the-basement/. April 2023.

CREB®. "Plumbing the depths of history: why some old homes have a random basement toilet." https://www.creb.com/News/CREBNow/2021/February/pittsburgh_potty_random_basement_toilet/. February 2021.

Keystone Newsroom. "A History of the Pittsburgh Potty." https://keystonenewsroom.com/2024/07/22/a-history-of-the-pittsburgh-potty/. July 2022.

MNopedia. "Three Thousand Years of Building in Minnesota." Minnesota Historical Society.

Hanson Remodeling. "How Much Does a Minneapolis Bathroom Remodel Cost?" https://hansonremodeling.com/blog/minneapolis-bathroom-remodel-cost. November 2024.

Honey-Doers. "Minneapolis Basement Renovation Service." https://www.honey-doers.com/basement-remodeling/. June 2023.

HGTV. "Basement Plumbing: What You Should Know." https://www.hgtv.com/design/remodel/interior-remodel/basement-plumbing-what-you-should-know. January 2020.

Mr. Rooter. "Why Do Old Homes Have Toilets in Their Basements?" https://www.mrrooter.com/oneida/about-us/blog/2021/september/why-old-homes-have-toilets-in-their-basements/. September 2021.

Additional Resources

1. Minnesota Historical Society Home Resources: The MHS offers guides and workshops for homeowners researching their historic properties. https://www.mnhs.org/preservation/buildings/rehab
2. Twin Cities Bungalow Club: This organization provides resources specifically for owners of the bungalow-style homes where basement toilets are commonly found. https://www.bungalowclub.org
3. Minnesota Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Historic Resources Committee: Offers guidance on historically appropriate renovations. https://www.aia-mn.org/get-involved/committees/historic-resources
4. Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission: Provides information on historically significant home features and preservation approaches. https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/boards-and-commissions/heritage-preservation-commission