PORCHES & STOOPS
In an earlier age, porches and front stoops played important roles in the Village's social life. These extensions of residents' homes were excellent places to hear the latest news from passing friends and neighbors, and the ideal place to catch cool summer breezes. Even though such socializing is less common today, their visibility makes porches and stoops important elements of Village architecture.

One-and-a-half story cottages and early Italianate houses are more likely to have stoops than porches. Stoops are made of light-colored regional limestone, often a better grade than the gray local limestone used for foundations. As photo 22 shows, some of the oldest stoops are very decorative; often they are quite massive. Where the houses have high foundations, the stoops have several steps. Stoops with ornate side pieces are a distinctive feature of the Village.

Mid-1800s builders included porches on both simple and ornate Italianate and Queen Anne houses. Some porches have plain posts and minimal ornamentation. Others are large and decorative with a great deal of architectural trim and detailing, as photos 24 and 25 show.

Recommendations
1. Porches and stoops, whether original or later additions, should be preserved in their historic forms. If they are deteriorated, they should be repaired to their original condition.

2. Even if doors are closed off and other entrances to the building are used, avoid removing stoops and porches. Always make it possible to use a doorway again in the future.

3. Most porches are very simple in design and detail. If a porch is to be added where one has been removed in the past, or if a porch is to be rebuilt or expanded, use a simple design and avoid the addition of brackets, scrollwork, spindles, and other decorative detail. Such features are appropriate only if physical or photographic documentation shows they existed on the building in the past.

4. When adding handrails to porches or stoops, avoid drilling or cutting original stone materials. Instead, try to mount handrails in the ground adjacent to steps.

5. Avoid brick as a material for porch bases, steps, or stoops because brick used in this way breaks the visual continuity of the light-colored stone foundation. Instead, use light-colored stone or construct these features out of concrete with a color similar to that of the local stone.

6. Porches and stoops should be placed below the water table, which is described in the Foundations section. If porches are supported on piers, the spaces between the piers should allow adequate ventilation to reach the space beneath the porch to keep it dry. Porch roofs should have adequate flashing to prevent water from running behind the joint with the house's facade.