Place

Tidal Toilet Wayside

On the left side of the panel, white text against a dark brown background in English and Spanish reads:  Tidal Toilet. This colonial restroom had a twice-daily, natural flushing system. Incoming tides filled the pit with seawater, and outgoing tides flushed the waste out into the bay.  End of Text  Below, an illustration of a horizontal stone-lined channel, or sewer, runs from the left side of the panel to the right where it connects to a plaster-lined pit. Grey, rectangular stones and dark brown earth surround the pit. Half-way up from the pit’s bottom, is a wooden plank with 3 holes cut into it for seats.   The panel sits just inside the stone opening to the fort's former toilet room. Large blocks of light grey, brown, and tan stone frame this opening. Beyond the panel, are views of the room's mottled grey plaster walls and dirt-covered floor.  [End of message]

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Wheelchair Accessible

This colonial restroom had a twice-daily, natural flushing system. Incoming tides filled the pit with seawater, and outgoing tides flushed the waste out into the bay.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Last updated: February 13, 2021