The small wooden closet located on the south wall of this room disguises a small bathroom designed for use by jurors deliberating a case. Gibbs’ original designs for the courthouse include space for 4 bathrooms, often called water closets. Many late 19th century Eaton County residents would have found these spaces particular interesting, as many of them still had to go outside to use the outhouse when at home.

The concept of an interior bathroom seems to have first developed in America sometime around 1850. At that time, most bathrooms were simply rooms that contained a bathtub that was filled by carrying water in from an outside pump. Over time indoor plumbing became more common as gravity brought water from large cisterns down through pipes into the bathroom.

In rural areas indoor plumbing was not widely available until the early 20th century. Outhouses and bathtubs in the kitchen were still very common after the courthouse opened. Imagine the delight of young farm children who, upon entering the new courthouse with their parents on business, suddenly discovered a room set aside specifically for this purpose!