Archival Items

Strong Porter Outhouse Project 2000

The Lytle House

The Strong-Porter "privy, necessary, outhouse", has finally come home!! It started out its very necessary life at the Strong-Porter House on South Street in Coventry. We are somewhat sure this was not the first outhouse on the property. As the family's prosperity grew so did the privy! By the late 1800's, the privy is Federal in style and quite grand! It has three adult "holes" and a baby "hole" just as you enter to the right. It's the cutest thing! The walls are all plaster and there are windows to boot.

George Dudley Seymour

George Dudley Seymour, a patent attorney in New Haven, purchased the Hale Homestead and was going to save other properties that he thought had any connection to the Hale Family. Seymour purchased the Strong property in 1930 from the Porter family because he mistakenly thought that Nathan Hale's mother was born there. The privy was dubbed "The Lytle House" and was moved to the Hale Homestead. It remained there for many a year.

The Beginning of a Long Journey Home

In the late 1980's, Angus Murdock, past president of the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society (A & L), and the Executive Council of the Coventry Historical Society entered into an arrangement to have the privy moved back to where it belonged. It took a good many years, many executive councils, an auction and a grant to complete the arduous task of relocating and restoring the privy to its historically correct location and condition.

In the spring of 2000, a Society auction raised money to rebuild the original foundation and ready the site to receive the privy. John Twerdy and his crew moved the privy from Strong-Porter as soon as the ground was dry. A grant was received in the spring of 2000 to cover part of the costs for restoring the privy and the work began. The roof was replaced, clapboards and sill replaced, windows were reglazed. The exterior was completely repainted. The interior has been painted. The replacement of the finial has yet to be done. The story of "The Lytle House" is nearly complete and tells part of the story of how people lived in the 18^th and 19^th century.

The newly restored outhouse at Strong-Porter House as it looks today.

The outhouse as it look upon its return to Strong-Porter.

Architectural drawing of "The Lytle House"

"Present barns are modern. There is an old wood shed and a tool house back of the house. The privy is contemporary with the original house, has a hip roof and finial. There is a well near the back door also one south west of house. An old elm stands in front of the house. There are roses and syringa bushes and lilacs (not Persian.)"
*Old Houses of Connecticut (Historical and Technical Information in regard to The Porter House).
Collected and Compiled by the Connecticut Society of Colonial Dames of America.

Unsung Heroes

The Society is indebted to many people for their support of this project including, John Twerdy, Marion Crane Service of Andover, John Elsessor, Rose Fowler, William Halsey, Lyndon and Roberta Wilmot, Stephen and Judith Murdock, the Coventry Lions Club, the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society, the Town of Coventry, and all the members of the Coventry Historical Society.

Funding for this project was made possible through a grant from the Quinebaug Shetucket Heritage Corridor Partnership Program 2000.

January 2005


Strong Porter Outhouse Project 2000
		The Lytle House
		The Strong-Porter "privy, necessary, outhouse", has finally come home!! It started out its very necessary life at the Strong-Porter House on South Street in Coventry. We are somewhat sure this was not the first outhouse on the property. As the family's prosperity grew so did the privy! By the late 1800's, the privy is Federal in style and quite grand! It has three adult "holes" and a baby "hole" just as you enter to the right. It's the cutest thing! The walls are all plaster and there are windows to boot. George Dudley Seymour George Dudley Seymour, a patent attorney in New Haven, purchased the Hale Homestead and was going to save other properties that he thought had any connection to the Hale Family. Seymour purchased the Strong property in 1930 from the Porter family because he mistakenly thought that Nathan Hale's mother was born there. The privy was dubbed "The Lytle House" and was moved to the Hale Homestead. It remained there for many a year. The Beginning of a Long Journey Home In the late 1980's, Angus Murdock, past president of the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society (A & L), and the Executive Council of the Coventry Historical Society entered into an arrangement to have the privy moved back to where it belonged. It took a good many years, many executive councils, an auction and a grant to complete the arduous task of relocating and restoring the privy to its historically correct location and condition. In the spring of 2000, a Society auction raised money to rebuild the original foundation and ready the site to receive the privy. John Twerdy and his crew moved the privy from Strong-Porter as soon as the ground was dry. A grant was received in the spring of 2000 to cover part of the costs for restoring the privy and the work began. The roof was replaced, clapboards and sill replaced, windows were reglazed. The exterior was completely repainted. The interior has been painted. The replacement of the finial has yet to be done. The story of "The Lytle House" is nearly complete and tells part of the story of how people lived in the 18^th and 19^th century. The newly restored outhouse at Strong-Porter House as it looks today. The outhouse as it look upon its return to Strong-Porter. Architectural drawing of "The Lytle House" "Present barns are modern. There is an old wood shed and a tool house back of the house. The privy is contemporary with the original house, has a hip roof and finial. There is a well near the back door also one south west of house. An old elm stands in front of the house. There are roses and syringa bushes and lilacs (not Persian.)" *Old Houses of Connecticut (Historical and Technical Information in regard to The Porter House). Collected and Compiled by the Connecticut Society of Colonial Dames of America. Unsung Heroes The Society is indebted to many people for their support of this project including, John Twerdy, Marion Crane Service of Andover, John Elsessor, Rose Fowler, William Halsey, Lyndon and Roberta Wilmot, Stephen and Judith Murdock, the Coventry Lions Club, the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society, the Town of Coventry, and all the members of the Coventry Historical Society. Funding for this project was made possible through a grant from the Quinebaug Shetucket Heritage Corridor Partnership Program 2000.