Can Maine Homes Still have an Active Outhouse on their Property?

Do you know why lilac bushes are placed where they are?

Lilacs bushes always used to be planted whenever they moved the outhouse, back in the day. I assume because over the winter, all the nasty stuff stayed relatively neutral smell-wise, and in the late spring and summer, the contents started to come alive a bit. But then the lovely lilacs would bloom around the same to cover it up.

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That's why you often see lilac bushes all planted in a row on older properties, because they would keep the outhouse and the flowers all moving down the line. You could just think of it as a primitive form of Glade spray. These days of course, you don't see outhouses very often, if at all.

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Can you dig a new outhouse in Maine?

Despite being all the rage 100+ years ago, there are still times when an outhouse can be practical. So yes, here in Maine, you can still dig an outhouse on your property. But... there are very specific rules that go along with it. You're going to have to jump through as many municipal/administrative hoops as you would for a normal bathroom, according to the BDN.

You'll have to get permits, tests, design specs, and a number of other things if you really want an outhouse. There may have been a time when you could just drop a stall over a hole in the ground, and then drop a deuce. But not these days. You'll need to consult a number of resources.

Why would anyone want an outhouse these days?

Surprisingly, there are a number of great reasons. Obviously, if you live in a house with regular indoor plumbing, you don't really have a need for one on your property. But Maine is a state of people who often own remote wood lots, or camps, or other areas where you may need to do some business, but a port-a-potty might not be ideal.

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While it's nice to do a lot of things off-grid, going to the bathroom isn't always one of them. You may not always want to hang your hiney over a log. If it's a spot you'll be using a lot, an outhouse may be the perfect thing. Besides, you can always just plant some lilacs around it, right?

Scroll through these concert listings while you're in the outhouse...