Any chance your sister was in/near Pittsburgh or the surrounding coal-country? The "Pittsburgh toilet"[1] is a relatively common basement feature in older home

Any chance your sister was in/near Pittsburgh or the surrounding coal-country? The "Pittsburgh toilet"[1] is a relatively common basement feature in older homes of steel and coal industry Appalachia. Often there would be a showerhead nearby as well, and the room was intended for the worker to come home through the basement, clean off the day's grime and 'do their business' rather than dirtying the proper upstairs house. The showers are removed pretty easily but the toilets are not. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_toilet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_toilet