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Harlan, Kentucky

Harlan is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,745 at the 2010 census, down from 2,081 at the 2000 census.

Thematic Map: Primary Direction of Hillsides in NYS - Aspect

Two-Story Outhouse in Gays | Atlas Obscura

Two-Story Outhouse in Gays | Atlas Obscura

Standing like a strange white monolith on a small patch of grass in Gays, the two-story outhouse has become somewhat of a local celebrity. It was built in 1869 as part of a general store that once had apartments connected to it. The upper section of the old bathroom was attached to the residences while the lower section was for general store shoppers who just had to go. In order to avoid any disastrous doodie drops, the upper and lower commodes are positioned on opposite sides of the outhouse, and the waste from the upper level actually falls to the septic pit below behind a false wall that keeps the first level away from all sorts of crap.

When the general store was torn down in 1984, the owner of the property saw the uniqueness of the bathrooms and took care to leave them standing, albeit a bit strangely as they no longer have any true reason for being. Today the stacked outhouse is no longer open to the public, and in fact there is no direct way to access the higher level but the Two-Story Outhouse, known to locals as the "skyscrapper," is beloved nonetheless.