Indoor plumbing and flush toilets didn’t become commonplace in America until the 1890s. In rural areas like Delmarva, these conveniences didn’t arrive until the early 20th century.
This metal tank and flushing apparatus came from the outhouse of the Presbyterian Manse House located at 322 North Division Street in Salisbury, Maryland, and is purported to be the first flush toilet in Salisbury. This particular model manufactured by J.A. Vogel Co. in Wilmington, Delaware, featured an automatic-flush. The u-shaped bracket attached to a toilet seat, and upon standing up, the seat lifted to activate the flush.
