In Pennsylvania, but outside of Pittsburgh I have lived in two homes that had a setup like described here in the basement. The one was actually still earth walls in most of the basement in a house built 1870/1880. The toilet was no longer in use, (I never tried to use it at least) but there was also a massive utility sink, medicine cabinet, and space for a shower. This room also shared space with the furnace and hot water heater… and had a glass paned door that went to steps up to the ground level. This room was cement floor, but then connected to an earthen floor room that would give access to the kitchen via a flight of steps.
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The other house was much more modern, built sometime between 1950-1970… and had a cement floor etc.
Yuck. Me too. 1950's era ranch house, eastern suburb of Pittsburgh. Scary accurate description of walless toilet, giant laundry sink, etc. Vile. I despise American-typical bathrooms. linoleum, no floor drains, toilet cramped next to everything else in the bathroom. single toilet shared by entire family. blech. really gross.
Clear on the other side of Pennsylvania (Bucks County), I grew up in a fairly old house (1930s? 40s?) with a toilet in the basement out in the open like this, next to the heating oil tank. Most strikingly it was up on a concrete pedestal, at least a foot high, I guess to raise it above the sewer line.
Hah. My brother once sent me this link. The house my mother grew up in, in Blair County, had one of these. I suppose that her family moved in about 1920.
—— The other house was much more modern, built sometime between 1950-1970… and had a cement floor etc.