• Baltimore, Maryland

Porches and (Sub)urban Space

If you travel through any city in United States and Canada built before 1900, you will see an interesting pattern: downtown areas with industrial buildings, commerce, and townhouses are usually surrounded by a ring of porched houses. This map illustrates this nineteenth century urban expansion pattern that have been imprinted onto urban landscape

Why Baltimore? Because of its size and layout, it is quite easy to see and document this phenomenon, but it is apparent in most major cities.

Background

The mid to late nineteenth century saw mass suburbanization for the first time in North America. When streetcars were electrified in the 1870s, it became easier to build a home outside a city and still commute to work. Streetcar lines radiated outward from a city center and as a result so did the homes that were built along these lines...and yes, these homes usually had porches on them.

Because suburbanization was a new concept, it took some time to get used to the idea of no longer living in tight, safe quarters within the city. What made these new suburbs palatable and even desirable were a few key factors: nature, community, and ownership. The porch attached to a private home located in a suburban community met these needs. While porches were already gaining in popularity, they were integral to the acceptance, adoption, and popularity of early suburbs. At the same time, suburbs were integral to the proliferation of the front porch.