“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 Preserving Porches, by Renee Kahn and Ellen Meagher 1990
The front porch in its heyday seemed to foster a sense of community, acting as the transitional space in a house where neighbors would socialize. It was also a place to have an iced tea and catch a breeze in the days before air-conditioning. Today outdoor living spaces are popular in the world of design, but are usually created in the back yard. But if you are lucky enough to have a front porch, there is no better place to while away a summer afternoon.
credits in order: from Coastal Living via love of the sea blog, from Martha Stewart magazine September 1999 issue, via Southern Living, Evan Sklar photo and Martha Stewart Living porch via musings of a night owl, Annie Kelly and Tim Street-Porter’s Connecticut house via Country Living
