#Porch June 6
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We have been working on having our house renovated and painted since October. We replaced windows, installed a new roof, removed exterior light fixtures, and gave the house a new paint color. We went from a beige to a dark grey.
Our home in Lumberton NC has a covered wrap around front PORCH that covers some 1,400 square feet.
Here are photos of house from 2009 (L) and 2020 (R) with different paint colors. These pictures depict the wrap around front PORCH.
Not every house has a front PORCH anymore but the second half of the nineteenth century was the golden era of porches. The social role of the PORCH increased as it evolved into an outdoor parlor, a true extension of the house into the landscape. The PORCH provided an opportunity for discreet social interactions.
As the 20th century came about new inventions helped lead to the decline of the front PORCH. Automobiles made it easier for people to get out of the house for entertainment and relaxation, porches began to lose popularity, especially as architectural styles and social attitudes changed.
With the telephone, neighbors and friends could chat without personally meeting. And housing styles popularized in the construction boom after World War II often omitted front porches all together as backyard patios became the focus of private outdoor activities.
Finally in the mid-twentieth century the broad availability of air conditioning and television enticed many people to stay inside at night and brought the golden era of the American PORCH to an end.
I offer up the Cape Cod and Split Level Ranch as examples of post WW II housing without porches.
I know it is passe but I still like sitting on my front PORCH catching a cool breeze and watching the world go by.
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