Homes with Covered Front Porches

The word "porch" derives from the Latin word porticus, or the Greek word portico, both of which are defined as columned entries to a temple. By Victorian times, the word “porch” became interchangeably used with the words veranda, piazza, loggia or portico. But, with the addition of a roof overhead, the covered front porch is as American as apple pie. While not unknown in Colonial times, home plans with covered front porches rose in popularity in the decades before the Civil War, and remained popular for almost one hundred years. Covered front porches became a place where homeowners could spend time outdoors socializing with neighbors and family.