It was common to have a hole in the door of outhouses for ventilation, but the origin of crescent moons and suns carved into these doors is nearly impossible to trace. The most common theory is that suns were used for men, and moons were used for women’s bathrooms. But is there evidence for this? Not really.

As you might guess, there aren’t many “outhouse historians,” or outhouse records for that matter. But it is important to remember that for much of the 1800s, much of America was rural, and most families were living within modest means. Building two outhouses, one for women and one for men, would have been financially impossible for many families. Shapes carved into outhouse doors may have been a simple decoration, or flourish added to make a trip to the bathroom a little more pleasant. Since the moon is commonly associated with feminine energy, it may have been more appealing to use an outhouse that was even subliminally associated with the cleaner sex.