Why are porch ceilings in Charleston so popular?
The color was first used in Charleston around the early 1800s, and it continues to be popular today. Another reason for the continued prevalence of the pale blue porch ceiling is that it serves as an extension of nature.
Should a front porch face the street in Charleston SC?
Placing the porch perpendicular to the street increases exposure to a cool breeze. The porch is usually accessed by the "faux" front door that faces the street. No matter the style of the home—from Federal, to Greek Revival, to Victorian—all Charleston houses share a similar interior layout.
Why do houses in the south have porches?
French settlers in the South also found the swampy climate of the low country suited to their elevated country homes with wide porches and pavilion roofs. Spanish settlers on the West Coast and in the Southwest brought a knowledge of porches and balconies from their native country.
How do you get to the porch in a Charleston house?
The porch is usually accessed by the "faux" front door that faces the street. No matter the style of the home—from Federal, to Greek Revival, to Victorian—all Charleston houses share a similar interior layout.
Why do Charleston houses have two front doors?
I had to find out why. My research showed these unique entrances had a name – hospitality doors – as did the homes they graced – Charleston singles. Charleston singles are distinct in that they were built “sideways” to make the most of narrow lots and breezes in the bustling city.
What are the porches called in Charleston?
A side porch on a Charleston Single House is also called a “piazza.” All piazzas are porches, but not all porches are piazzas. These can be found on Anson Street.
Why are houses built sideways in Charleston?
When the city's first streets were laid out in 1680, residential lots were long and deep but had little street frontage. Placing the house sideways on the lot made the best use of space. This also allowed the home to take full advantage of the prevailing southerly breezes, necessary in the hot summer climate.
What is a hospitality door?
What Are Hospitality Doors For? Hospitality doors offered helpful social cues for neighbors and friends. If that door was propped open, it meant that the family inside was ready for visitors. If the door was shut, you guessed it — Do not disturb.
What is the oldest house in Charleston SC?
There's an argument to be made that the small house at 17 Chalmers St. is Charleston's oldest surviving home.
Do homes in Charleston have basements?
Homes in South Carolina do not have basements because of the high water table and humidity. A high-water table means that there is water underground within 6-8 feet of the surface. This is problematic since basements need to be dug at least 8 feet deep.
What style are Charleston homes?
There are over 2,500 historical buildings in the Charleston area, and you'll find eight distinct architectural styles throughout the Lowcountry.These styles include Colonial, Georgian, Federal, Classical Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Victorian, and Art Deco. ... The shape of the lot is narrow and long.More items...
What is Piazza door?
Piazzas, called porches by many people, are frequently found either on the south or west facing facade of the house to shield the home and its occupants from the heat of the intense summer sun.
Why is it called Rainbow Row?
The name Rainbow Row was coined after the pastel colors they were painted as they were restored in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the most photographed parts of Charleston.
What is a porch called in South Carolina?
Bloomsbury Inn, Camden The veranda is actually what's called a rain, or Carolina, porch, specially designed so the roof overhangs the porch's deck-a pretty nifty design considering South Carolina's reputation for summertime showers.
Why do Charleston houses have porches?
Charleston single houses typically have porches on the long side of the house. Why? Placing the porch perpendicular to the street increases exposure to a cool breeze. The porch is usually accessed by the "faux" front door that faces the street.
Why were Charleston style homes built?
It's sometimes said that Charleston-style homes were built with extremely narrow façades to avoid higher taxation on street-facing frontage. Another myth says Charleston-style homes were inspired by the traditional structures of Barbados, where many early residents of Charleston kept their sugar plantations.
What is a faux front door?
Charleston single homes appear to have a front door that faces the street, but in reality, these doors are entryways to the home's piazza or porch, where you'll find the true entryway to the home. This structure was meant to give Victorian-era residents a greater sense of privacy.
How many Charleston homes were built?
During the height of its popularity, it's estimated that there were 4,500 Charleston-style homes built in the Holy City.
What is the narrow side of a house in Charleston?
The narrow side of the house, which typically faces the street, is simply a façade; the long side of the house, which is perpendicular to the street, is the true front of the house and where most Charlestonians placed the entryways to their homes.
What type of architecture is Charleston?
Unlike other southern architectural types, like French Colonial and antebellum architecture, Charleston architecture is found exclusively in Peninsular Charleston. Although Charleston-style houses can come in a variety of architectural styles, like Federal, Greek Revival, or Victorian, they all share a similar interior layout.
What is Charleston known for?
The city of Charleston, South Carolina—often referred to as the Holy City—is well-known for its cobblestone streets and massive collection of candy-colored, pre-Civil War houses. Known as Charleston-style homes, you'll find the largest collection of the city's historical houses, ...
What is the main feature of the Charleston House?
Although the form can be found across historic Charleston in a variety of styles (e.g., Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian ), the consistent feature is interior layout . A front door on the long side of the house, halfway along the side perpendicular to the street, opens onto a short central hall and staircase. There is one room on each side of the hall, that is, one toward the street and one toward the rear of the house. The result is a building which is only one room wide when viewed from the street, giving the form its popular name. Each floor contained two rooms, and the floorplan was reproduced on each upper floor.
Where is the front door of a house?
The actual front door for the house is located halfway along the piazza.
What side of the house do piazzas appear on?
The piazzas always appear on the side of the house with the front door which, to take best advantage of local winds, will be the south or west side.
Why were single houses not built?
Despite the popularity of the story, single houses were not built to avoid taxes that were, according to the tales, based on the width of the house; no evidence supports anything about such fanciful myths. A plat from 1802 showing 134 Church Street included the interior layout of the Charleston single house with extensive rear buildings and gardens.
Where is Charles Graves House?
The Charles Graves House at 123 Tradd Street, Charleston, South Carolina is a classic example of a single house, with its narrow end facing the street, a false front door screen a piazza, and a true front door halfway along the longer side of the house.
These rocking benches have a rich history in South Carolina
We love modern home decor, but there’s something about the charm of old-style decor that can’t be beat. Specifically, Southern decor! Let’s be honest, it’s the only thing we love more than Southern cooking.
What Is a Joggling Board?
The word “joggle” means to shake slightly or move to and fro, and that’s just what this board does. The bench is made out of a long, pliable piece of wood supported on each end by wood stands. It’s made with Southern pine, a wood that’s sturdy yet flexible and perfect for building this Southern staple.
This Bench Has a Secret Meaning, Too
Joggling boards look great and are super comfortable, but that’s not all. Many people believed that if your front porch had a joggling board, you would never have an unwed daughter in the house.
Where to Find a Joggling Board for Sale
Joggling boards are definitely coming back, thanks to their rich history and functionality. If you’re looking to buy your own, swing by the Joggle Factory or take a peek on Etsy!
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Amrita is an Assistant Digital Editor at Taste of Home. As a writer and amateur photographer, she often ends up applying these skills to her one great love: food. She can usually be found researching global cuisines, at the farmers market, doing yoga, or looking up new places to travel to.
What color is the porch ceiling in Charleston SC?
If you’ve spent any time on a historic Charleston SC front porch (sipping sweet tea in a rocking chair, my guess), you’ll notice haint blue (that robin’s egg color) painted on everyone’s porch ceilings. This trend is not purely for style: haint blue serves a practical and metaphysical purpose.
Why paint porch ceilings blue?
Many believe that painting porch ceilings light blue (to resemble the sky) will keep spiders, wasps, and birds from building nests. The sky blue color keeps these insects and animals away because they look for “hard” surfaces to build their nests.
Why are the windows painted blue?
In Gullah tradition, troubled spirits trapped between life and death can’t cross over water, so many porches and window frames were painted a pale blue to keep spirits from entering. Spirits aren’t the only thing that these blue ceilings are said to keep out.
Why do people paint their porch ceilings blue?
“People paint the porch ceiling blue because the color seems to emulate the natural sky and makes the daylight hours feel as though they last just a little longer ,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. Summer days seem to last longer when afternoons are spent on the porch, and a pale blue ceiling overhead helps extend the daylight into dusk.
Why paint a blue porch?
While there’s no guarantee that a blue porch will keep bugs and ghosts at bay, you can be sure it will attract attention. “Simply put, many people choose to paint the porch ceiling blue because of the way it makes that space look and feel,” Wadden says. “Blue is a calming color, so using it in an area of the house that's intended for relaxation makes sense,” she explains. On the porch above, designed by Tim Barber Ltd. and photographed by Laura Hull, the softest shade of blue on the ceiling sets the whole space up for relaxation. If you’re looking to channel the same sense of calm on your porch, deck, or front stoop, consider brushing on one of Sue Wadden’s paint picks, below.
Why is a porch important?
Often partially screened by shrubs, porches could provide occupants with discreet opportunities for social contacts that might otherwise be difficult to achieve in an age obsessed with manners and proprieties. For many, sitting on the porch became an important part of their daily routine.
Why were porches added to homes?
Porches were also added to private homes to serve many of these same functions (Figure 2). As the country began to thrive and expand, porches became more than just covered entrances or ceremonial features; they became an integral part of domestic social life .
What were the porches in the colonies called?
In colonial America, buildings in the northern colonies tended to echo British precedents with small gable-roofed extensions to protect main entrances. Whether open or enclosed, these extensions were called porches (from Medieval English and the French word porche, which stems from the Latin, porticus ). Also known as porticos when supported by ...
What is a porch in Cedar Grove?
Porches help define the architectural character of a building, serve as living areas and can be designed to take advantage of views. Cedar Grove, the home of the 19th-century landscape painter Thomas Cole, has an L-shaped veranda on the front and a two-story porch on the rear, with an enviable view of the Catskills. Photo: Marilyn Kaplan.
What were the porches called in the French colonial period?
In French colonial areas, such as the Louisiana Territory, houses were often built with broad roofs extending well beyond the exterior walls to form surrounding porches, known as galleries. Porches were also important features of Spanish colonial buildings. In California, for example, many adobe ranches featured a portal with the roof supported by wooden posts. African and Caribbean influences can also be found in North American porch traditions.
What was the social role of porches in the 1800s?
The social role of porches as a transition space between indoors and outdoors and as a link between private and public realms evolved during the 1800s. By offering grand entrances and sheltered landings with views of the surroundings, prominent porches became expected features of inns, hotels and resort spas, where they could serve as promenades, social gathering spots, and refuges for more private retreats. Porches were also added to private homes to serve many of these same functions (Figure 2). As the country began to thrive and expand, porches became more than just covered entrances or ceremonial features; they became an integral part of domestic social life.
Why did porches lose popularity?
As the automobile boom of the early twentieth century 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.
