Traditional Southern American Porches

Portico

• One of the most iconic symbols of the South is that of a white plantation house with a deep front porch whose roof is supported by large, sturdy columns. Porticos, also called Greek porches due to their Greek Revival roots, run across the entire front of the house and are two stories high with the ceiling protruding from the second story roof.

Veranda

• One of the most traditional types of Southern porch is the veranda. These porches commonly extend the width of the front or back of the house, although some homes feature side verandas running from front to back. Verandas are often on both the first and second story, where they are referred to as balconies. Verandas take their cue from the porches slaves often built onto their cabins, a practice they brought with them from their home countries where the climates were hot.

Piazza

• Piazzas, also called loggias, are side porches designed to shade the windows on the west and south sides of a building from the sun's rays. Piazzas have their genesis in Venice and became popular throughout Europe in the 1700s. Eventually they were adopted by British colonists throughout the world, but were especially popular in warm climates. The British brought this porch style to America where they are still seen throughout the South in cities like Charleston, South Carolina.

Gallery

• A gallery is a two-story porch running all the way around a building. Galleries are especially prevalent in New Orleans where they are often supported by intricate iron columns. This architectural element has its roots in both Spanish and French culture. Like verandas, galleries were also influenced by slave cabin porches.

Screened

• A screened-in porch is designed to give you the best of both worlds. Retiring to a screened porch in the heat of the day allows you to cool off and enjoy nature while being protected from inclement weather and pesky insects. Screened porches in the South were also used as sleeping porches, and some were located on the second story of the home where they opened off of bedrooms or upstairs hallways.