Adapted from the 1986 House Tour Guide (page 363)

Prior to the Civil War, indoor plumbing was not generally available and privies were as elaborate as their owners could afford. Two privies of this type survive in Roslyn. Neither is in its original location (O.W. Valentine House: TG 1985-86) ("Locust Hill" Utility House: TG "Locust Hill"-1983-84). Even more impressive is the 18th century privy at Sylvester Manor at Shelter Island. All three demonstrate that these small, very useful, buildings were considered to be architecturally important.

During the 1860's all this changed. Indoor plumbing became available to the rich and prominent in some locations and sanitary conveniences were moved indoors. The Warren Wilkey House (ca. 1864) is known to have had a bathroom at the time it was built (TG 1972-73-78-79-80-81). Those who could not afford indoor plumbing designed their privies to be as unostentatious as possible. Often they were hidden under large trees or behind shrubbery so they would be less visible. Early, architecturally prominent privies often had some apparatus as a large drawer, removable with a team of horses, which permitted frequent cleaning and, as a result, were intended to remain on their original sites and were fitted with foundations. Later, unobtrusive privies were simply built over holes in the ground and were relocated as necessary. As the result, foundations were impractical and privy bottoms tended to rot readily because of their contact with the ground. Privies continued to be used in many Roslyn houses until well into the 20th century. Samuel Dugan, Jr. did not bring water to his own house until September, 1916 (TG 1986).

The Kirby Privy appears to have been built circa 1880. Structurally it resembles the lean-to kitchen of about the same date which is attached to the Kirby-Sammis House (TG 1986). Both are constructed of vertical boards of the same width, 9". Both, when built, had no battens, although these were applied to the Kirby-Sammis lean-to in 1983, in the Roslyn Preservation Corporation's efforts to eliminate leakage.

The original location of the Kirby Privy is unknown. It was found in Roslyn Park, immediately behind the Kirby-Sammis House, and was moved to its present site in 1983 with the approval of North Hempstead Park Commissioner Thomas Mohrman. The new site was selected by landscape planner Robert Zion to help establish separate identities for the Kirby Storehouse and the Kirby-Sammis properties. However, it had been in this site before, as two photographs in Roy Moger's book "Roslyn Then and Now" clearly show it, early in the 20th century, just about where it stands today, at about the time that the Kirby-Sammis House was moved to its present location.

The Kirby Privy is 86" x 54" and has a pitched roof, and was found with its original shingles which had an exposure of 5" to the weather. The ridge shingles were "combed," a weather-proofing technique more than a century old at the time the privy was built. It was intended to be an unpretentious building, in the manner of the period in which it was built, but, nevertheless, it is extremely interesting architecturally. It was intended to be a highly functional building which derived its configuration from the purpose to which it was to be put. In addition, it was intended to be an inexpensive, utilitarian structure, which gained architectural interest from the gratification of these aims. It is sided with 91/2"i x l 1/4" vertical boards which eliminated the need for studs. The gable field boarding overlaps the vertical boards below the roof plate and produces a 1 1/4" projection at the base of each gable-field. While this was done to simplify the nailing of the gable-field vertical boards to the lower vertical boards, it produces a visual effect which is far more interesting than if the vertical boards had extended, unbroken, from the sills to the rafters. There are only three pairs of rafters; the two pairs of gable rafters and a pair midway between. The rafters are 1 7/8" x 2" and are set on 42" centers. The roof overhangs 4", and the shingle lathe are exposed in the gable overhangs. The shingle lathe are 2" x 7/8" and are set on 5" centers.

The Privy is divided into two compartments; one male, the other female, each having its own doorway. The board-and-batten door to the male compartment is decorated with a pine tree outlined in 3/4" drill holes. The male half also is decorated with a diamond, of similar drill holes, in its gable-end wall. These designs in drill holes provided ventilation as well as decoration. The male seat opening was "U" shaped. The female compartment was undecorated and unventilated. The seat opening was oval. Both doors swing on manufactured, tapering strap hinges of the late 19th century. Both doors were fastened with manufactured Suffolk latches of the second half of the 19th century.

When found, the Privy was in an advanced state of decay, as the result of rot. The roof shingles were badly rotted although most of the shingle lathe were salvageable. The entire base was very badly rotted as the result of standing on the ground for many years.

The Privy's restoration began by moving it from the rear of the Kirby-Sammis House (actually in Roslyn Park) to its present location. This was done, with a payloader, by the Nassau Suffolk Lumber and Supply Corporation as a public service. The Privy was then placed on its back and its sills were replaced. Meanwhile a brick foundation was prepared. While the privy did not have a foundation, its future use will be for storage and it is unlikely to be moved again. Its placement on a masonry foundation will reduce the risk of future rot. The Privy was then placed on its new foundation and the rotted bottoms of the vertical siding boards were replaced. So far as possible, only the rotted sections were removed, leaving a series of wooden patches at the Privy base. The wooden shingle roof was then replaced using shingles which matched the originals. The "combed" ridge cresting was reproduced. A "water-table" was then set around the bottoms of the sides to cover as many of the new repair patches as possible. Apart from the foundation, the water-table is the only departure from the original design of the Privy.

The Privy was painted in the colors of the Kirby-Sammis House to continue the historical relationship of the three buildings. As in the case of the Kirby Storehouse, the entire restoration was completed by Edward Soukup and Guilio Parente, both working under the aegis of the Roslyn Preservation Corporation.