Plumbing History: Taking a Look at the Buildings of the Northeast

Indoor plumbing is something that not only has made our lives more comfortable and easier over generations; it has come to shape the way we live. It’s gone from essentially functional to utterly fashionable.

It’s interesting to take a look back at where plumbing has been over the years, and how plumbing history has shaped where we are today.

Indoor Plumbing: Luxury mostly seen only in hotels.

While we’ve come to expect indoor plumbing in most homes and business establishments in the Northeast, prior to the 1840s, indoor plumbing was almost exclusively seen only in hotels. The reason for this is that hotels were considered luxurious and indoor plumbing at the time, was an absolute luxury, considering that most people in the Northeast were relegated to privies and outhouses.

The first hotel to blaze that trail was the Tremont Hotel in Boston in 1829. Young and up-­and-coming architect Isaiah Rogers turned the architectural world on its ear, with a design that had eight separate water closets on the main floor of the hotel that made use of steam and a simple water carriage system to deliver and remove used water.

Pipes were originally made from wood.

These days, pipes are fashioned out of durable copper and PVC, but according to plumbing history, pipes had a more humble beginning.

In the more rudimentary plumbing systems, pipes were made from wood logs only. Teams of ‘borers’ would work in teams of two with augers to hull out the wood logs, which were cut into pieces that were approximately 7 to 9 ft. in length.

As the population grew and plumbing use got slightly more complex, the wooden pipes became prone to bursting and were replaced with iron.

New York’s Croton Aqueduct System

Built between the years of 1837 and 1842, the Croton Aqueduct System was built in response to a growing need for fresh water in New York City.

It was a complex system, comprised of dug tunnels, piping and man-­made reservoirs that allowed for water to travel from areas beyond Manhattan (i.e. Upstate New York) to be available for use by the growing population of New York City.

Indoor Plumbing Circa 1850s

By the 1850s, indoor plumbing was becoming more common in houses. The challenges initially had to do with freezing temperatures in the winter and strength of water pressure.

As plumbing history progressed and improvements were made to techniques and materials, water pressure was largely adequate to allow for indoor showers, similar to what we’ve got today. Water was heated by steam effectively.

Plumbing is something that changes over time, which is why it’s important to have a plumber that is well versed in the evolution of the industry and is trained in the best techniques today.

Call B & D Plumbing, Heating & A/C in St. Michael, MN today at (763)­ 497­-2290 for all your plumbing needs.