Colonial Porches in Georgia

Georgian

• Georgian-style homes are residences built in English-speaking countries and colonies during the reigns of Kings George I and II of Great Britain and King George III of the United Kingdom. This period lasted throughout the 18th century. Most Georgian-style residences were known for the symmetrical front window placement, but many did not have porches. Georgian churches and public buildings had porches featuring tall, round-shaped columns. Most of the Georgian-stye buildings from colonial Georgia no longer exist. Georgian homes were primarily owned by wealthy merchants or plantation owners.

Plantation Plain

• Plantation plain was a common architectural style of homes built in colonial Georgia. Most homeowners who lived in plantation plain homes were middle-class landowners. Plantation plain homes usually had two stories and a porch on the front side of the home. The porches on plantation plain homes usually extended across the full width of the homes' front sides. Small round or square-shaped columns supported the porch's roof. Some plantation plain homes still stand in Gwinnett County, Georgia, which is within 30 to 45 minutes of Atlanta. Savannah's Wild Heron Plantation Home has a plantation plain-style front porch, although the house in its entirety is not a true plantation plain-style home.

Slave Cottages

• During the colonial period, slaves usually lived in cottages with side-gabled roofing, which covered a porch on the front side of the building. Most cottage porches were completely made from wood but were usually roofed with aluminum. Cottage porches were usually at ground level and wooden beams supported the porches' roofs. The majority of slave cottages in Georgia no longer exist. However, some remaining cottages have been modified into modest homes. An example of an existing slave cottage is open to guests at Oak Grove Plantation and Gardens Bed and Breakfast (oakgrovega.com) in Newnan, Georgia.

Saltbox

• Saltbox homes originated in New England but were popularized in colonial Georgia during the 18th century. Saltbox homes are two levels in the front of the home and one level in the rear. These homes also have long, pitched roofs that slope down to the back of the house. Most saltbox homes have a rear porch, which was normally used as storage area in colonial times. The house's design resulted from colonists trying to avoid paying taxes on homes taller than one level. One of Georgia's few remaining saltbox homes is the Christian Camphor House in Savannah. This house was constructed in the 1760s.