Pottyville Gives Old Outhouses New Life

Pottyville Gives Old Outhouses New Life AG WORLD When Nell Riccatone bought a dilapidated outhouse to use as a potting shed in her yard near Glenwood Minn she had no idea it would lead to a dozen such “large lawn ornaments” dubbed Pottyville by her neighbors The outhouse collection has turned into a local tourist attraction “Outhouses are not as easy to find as you would think The bottom line is they are being torn down or destroyed and will disappear ” Riccatone says “My friend Gary and I just want to keep these little pieces of history alive Their contribution should be recorded in some way ” Gary Hoover is a semi-retired farmer and auctioneer He transports the old buildings by tipping them onto a snowmobile trailer covered with tires He repairs the old buildings on his farm The oldest building in the collection is more than a century old The biggest is a 12-ft long his-and-hers toilet from a church Riccatone Hoover and neighborhood volunteers decorate each outhouse by theme using cheap materials they pick up at garage sales Riccatone and Hoover invite visitors to wander through their growing outhouse village for free The “potting shed” turned into “Summer” the first of the four season-themed sheds They were followed by a Huntin’ Fishin’ Shack the Wild Wild West and the popular Throne Room where guests love to have their photos taken Riccatone and Hoover enjoy Pottyville potlucks with their neighbors who have taken on roles such as “mayor” and “inspector” Neighbors are pleased to have their photos on Most Wanted posters in the Wild Wild West building The buildings – including the seats – are kept intact as much as possible As a retired special education teacher Riccatone uses Pottyville to teach lessons on history and recycling One outhouse is a Trading Post where people can leave an item and take another She’s seen everything from skates to a new George Foreman grill New projects include posting its history and building a mini jail cell using iron bars from Glenwood’s jail built in the late 1800’s Guests are welcome anytime from Memorial Day through Labor Day Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Nell Riccatone and Gary Hoover 16208 S W Amelia Rd Glenwood Minn 56334 ph 320 805-0831 or 320 634-3231

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