History of the Toilet
The toilet is a focal point of every home, and has been since they were moved inside from outhouses. Before the invention of the flush toilet, most relieved themselves is holes in the ground. These holes could be in the outhouse, or, more commonly, just holes dug out in the woods. When the flush toilet gained popularity, it made the process more efficient and cleanly, with the added benefit of moving it inside the home.
The Flushing Toilet Revolution
The flush toilet was first invented in 1596, but did not gain widespread popularity until the 1850s. When Sir John Harrington first invented the flush toilet, he expected it to change the world, or at least make an impact. However, people continued using chamber pots and cess pits. For over 100 years, the idea of the flush toilet remained nothing but a dream. Then, in the 1770s, new and better concepts for the flushing toilet emerged.
When these new designs came out, the flush toilet was considered a luxury item. At a time when most households were sharing toilet space with one another, they could not afford the toilet or the housing accommodations necessary to have the toilet. Since most toilet spaces at the time were located outside the house, a whole new room had to be created to bring the toilet inside: the bathroom. The inclusion of the bathroom would take time to catch on, and only the wealthy had the means to have a flush toilet in the early days.
Architectural Reform
The addition of a completely new room in the home and other buildings presented an architectural challenge. It was often too expensive to add the new room to the house, so many ordinary people had to wait until new homes were built with the bathrooms to experience a flush toilet of their own.
Now, it is commonplace to have a flush toilet in the home. In developed countries, it is considered unusual not to have a flush toilet in the home. It is amazing how far something we consider simple today has come. Over only nearly 200 years, the flush toilet has become a staple in the home. People these days do not realize that only a few generations ago, only the wealthy were able to have access to the luxury of the flush toilet.
If you’re ever having toilet troubles in your Montgomery home call Cole Plumbing at (334) 279-8919!
