The Evolution of the American Front Porch __ I never thougt much about the porch until I ran across this website and began to realize that they are unique American institutions.
“Porches are as synonymous with American culture as apple pie. While not unknown in colonial times, they rose to nationwide popularity in the decades before the Civil War, and remained in fashion for almost one hundred years. Ironically, the very social and technological forces that made them both popular and possible were eventually responsible for their decline.”
— from Kahn, Preserving Porches
They never went away in the Southwest. They’re just called “portals”. I had to learn to use the term when I moved here 20 years ago. But, just like the porches in the factory town where I grew up, portals are designed in for family and/or neighbors to congregate outdoors.
Isn’t it interesting how seeming subtle and “taken for granted” things can change fundamentally just during our one lifetime.
Take the yards. Used to be, Front Yard -showoff, Backyard, bbq and junk
Now, No FrontYards, just paved entrances to the front facing garage doors, How boring from the street, and ugle 2
I couldn’t live in a house without a front porch. It would be foreign to me.
Here in Northern California where I am in exile at the moment, the group that uses front porchs the most are the Hispanic, doing all the things that Steve mentioned that black families do. I think it’s great. Doing all those things in the back of a house is like closeing off the rest of the world. Doing them out on the front porch is inviting the world to join you while you have a good time.
I use to have a front porch. Sitting with the neighbors, eating, watching a summer thunderstorm… good times. Great, now I want to start a “Bring back the porch” movement. With wifi and the growing ubiquity of laptops, I could even get some code done while not looking like an albino.