The return of the porch

By: J. David Chapman/December 15, 2023

We poured a new porch on my son’s 1920’s Craftsman home this week. Americans rediscovered the value of the front porch during the pandemic. The front porch became the connection to neighbors, friends, and family. The porch became the buffer in neighborhoods to negotiate new social-distancing rituals, an old-fashioned way to socialize that has been rekindled by the coronavirus. Across the country, there are accounts of people using porches to engage from a distance for happy hours, concerts, dates, tutoring, and nearly anything we could think of to combat social isolation. Yes, you were lucky if you had a nice big porch.

You probably haven’t thought about porches much but allow me to elaborate a bit on their history and importance. The first porches had more to do with climate and environment than social issues. Porches shaded the house walls, which meant less heat inside the home in the pre-air-conditioning era. Porches also acted as a cool, outdoor living space. These architectural elements served to elide the boundaries of the garden and building by linking interior space both visually and physically. Because of these reasons and the associated values of refinement and domesticity, porches became expected on homes during that period. Advertising for homes would refer to the porch as “a summer parlor” or a “pleasant shelter.”

Unfortunately, this architectural element fell victim to air-conditioning in the mid-20th century, as well as changes in American lifestyles. Americans moved to suburban tract homes with substantial street setbacks and large backyards and people focused on their private lives. Another key contributor to the demise of the porch was post WWII developers’ profit margins. By eliminating the costs of constructing porches, developers were able to quickly construct modest and architecturally streamlined dwellings which resulted in faster and bigger profits.

History seems to always demonstrate that good ideas return. They don’t always return in the same manner, but they return. Such is the case of the porch. Home designs are more often now including outdoor living spaces and outdoor rooms within their landscape. People are reevaluating the type of landscape after municipalities issue water restrictions.

Architectural styles such as Bungalow, Prairie style, and Craftsman have regained popularity in recent years, which by design emphasize the front porch. Choosing to sit on the porch is a passive invitation to interaction. In an age where we spend our time communicating through texts, chats, and the internet, it is refreshing to have these spontaneous encounters face-to face.

– J. David Chapman is professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).