An ode to the front porch in Daydreaming on the Porch
- Dec. 14, 2020, 3:26 a.m.
- |
- Public
I cannot even imagine living in a house without a front porch, the bigger the better. And it should have at least a couple of rockers, a swing, ceiling fan and maybe some bright red flower boxes full of geraniums. I love to sit and rock on my front porch whether it’s 3 in afternoon or 3 in the morning. Totally different kinds of mood and atmosphere prevail at those times, but I can equally enjoy anytime out there in the fresh air in the still of an afternoon, or in the deep silence of an early morning encounter with the world outside my pandemic quarantined life.
It used to be that every house had a porch. The heyday of the front porch was the 1880s through the mid 1920s. After that the traditional meaning and significance of porches began to decline as households in later decades shifted outdoor life to the back patio, deck or lawn. In days long before the Internet changed just about everything, porches were where families congregated to see the passing parade of life in the streets and on sidewalks, and to be seen in turn by neighbors and the occasional strangers. By the 1950s through the early 1980s you never saw new houses with porches, but then during the past three decades there’s been a porch renaissance as new houses adopted more traditional architectural styles from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
I love porches and have enjoyed photographing them for more than 40 years.
One of my first online diary entries from August 1998 included this passage about my long-time affinity for porches:
Porches and sidewalks hearten back to a time when everyone wasn’t bottled up inside behind closed doors in air-conditioned units watching TV in every room of the house. The porch is like an additional room, but one that is open and inviting and faces the street where you welcomed fiends and neighbors. The porch was where you could be gently lulled to sleep in a swing hanging from the ceiling, or in a rocking chair worn and smooth with the passage of time. Under the softly whirring ceiling fan you and neighbors, family, or relatives might talk away into the night, listening to leaves rustling occasionally and watching fireflies flicker on and off in the darkness.
Here is an album of some favorite photos of houses with porches:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/camas/it99aQ
Last updated December 15, 2020
ConnieK ⋅ December 14, 2020
Our porches in New England were wide but here in FL, it's mostly just a slab of concrete.
Oswego ConnieK ⋅ December 17, 2020
Concrete and slabs have taken over! I’ll take the porches any day!
Sabrina-Belle ⋅ December 16, 2020
Oh how I wish we had front porches here in the UK. I've always thought how lovely they were. We have a right of way between our house and the garden but we do have a patio on the other side from where we can watch the world go by.
A friend of ours, Steve Brook, is a singer songwriter and he has written a song called All I Want is a Porch. I'm not sure how to post links here but it's on You Tube.
Oswego Sabrina-Belle ⋅ December 17, 2020
I will certainly look for that song. I really can’t imagine life without some kind of porch. Considering how much time I spend indoors these days, my porch is my best connection to the world outside, for now anyway.
Jinn ⋅ December 17, 2020
I lived in a big old house for awhile and the front porch was one of my favorite areas. I love porch swings. I loved living in a small town and watching the people being out and about .
My house now does not have porch although there is a covered concrete pad. It’s certainly not that attractive:-( .
Oswego Jinn ⋅ December 17, 2020
I’d love to live in a big old house, say, built around 1880-1910. Maybe Queen Anne style or some intricate Victorian mess... with a big wrap-around porch!
Jinn Oswego ⋅ December 17, 2020
The one I bought in my 20’s had six bedrooms , a library, a sitting room, a Diningroom , a huge kitchen , a butler’s pantry and a sunroom . Also a huge attic and basement. It had a big room with a clawfoot bathtub and a sink downstairs but since my ex- husband and I were young and stupid ; neither of us noticed there was no toilet . Lol. We bought the house at auction ; there were three floors and we were bouncing around like crazy because we were so excited. The 102 year old lady who had lived there all her life ( her Father built it ) used an outhouse . OMLord . We had to pay to have a toilet put in before we could move in. :-)
Oswego Jinn ⋅ December 17, 2020
Lol. That is so funny, but what an adventure! A huge old Victorian mansion, I am guessing with no toilet. Library, sitting room and pantry... Wow! Did you renovate it l, and how long did you live there? Sounds like a dream come true to me, and at such an early age! 😌
Jinn Oswego ⋅ December 17, 2020
We only lived there three years . No , we were so broke all we could afford was paint and we refinished the floors ( that was a big job and they were in good shape ). We both went on the roof to make repairs. Looking back I can hardly believe I did that . I could have broken my neck ! Little did I know it would get broken in a car accident ten years ago :-( anyway. We only had three rooms of furniture so it was very empty :-) and very drafty . It had hot water radiators and they were not very efficient. :-) There were four fireplaces but we could not afford wood . We were broke to put it mildly. We also were full time students with jobs and a baby . Time at home was rare ; and usually we were desperately trying to sleep . Finally the stress got to be too much and we split. Sadly the house had to be sold . We bought it for $30,000.00 and sold it for $35,000.00 :-) Not much . Now you would be lucky to buy one like it for 150,000.00 , even in that small town. The place was a little spooky at night if I was home alone . :-)
Oswego Jinn ⋅ December 20, 2020
When you’re young you can do almost anything, and the sky’s the limit. Sorry that old house adventure didn’t work out. My dream is having an old Victorian house in the country.... pipe dream, that is! 🤔
Jinn Oswego ⋅ December 21, 2020
My dream is to have one again :-) but in Clinton( a very small town.). I just need enough yard to make a tiny vegetable/ flower garden. Also a sunroom for my plants :-)
Marg ⋅ December 27, 2020
That is one part of American culture I very much envy - I just love the idea of the old wooden front porch and would adore having one! I make do with a garden chair in the front garden :)
Oswego Marg ⋅ December 27, 2020
I truly love porches. In fact, I was just out on my porch tearing up boxes for recycling when I got the idea to take pictures of little areas of that porch and write an entry about them with pictures included! ☺️
Marg Oswego ⋅ December 29, 2020
Oh I’ll look forward to reading that!
Oswego Marg ⋅ December 29, 2020
It’s going to be one of those oddly unusual but humorous entries! 😌🧐