Historic Resource Design Guidelines Chapter 2.6: Porches and Balconies City of Santa Barbara

Chapter 2.6: Porches and Balconies

INTRODUCTION

Historic porch and balcony design, scale, and detail vary with the architectural style of the building. Victorian porches were often ex- tensively detailed, extending the entire length of the building and supported by large columns. In contrast, other styles such as Span- ish Colonial and English Revival may not have a porch, but rather an overhang over the front door. Many Mediterranean or Monterey Revival historic resources also do not have porches, but have front façade balconies as one of the main featured elements. Historically, residential porches, stoops, porticos, terraces, entrance courtyards, porte cocheres, patios, and verandas provided sheltered outdoor liv- ing space in the days before reliable climate control. They defined a semi-public area to mediate between the public street areas and the private area within the home. They also provided an architectural focus to help define entry ways and allow for the development of architectural detail. Typically, areas covered by a porch, including windows, doors, and wall surfaces, tend to require less maintenance than other more exposed areas of the house. The shade provided by porches can reduce energy bills. However, steps, railings, and roofs are usually exposed to the weather and may require additional main- Porches are a common feature of many turn-of-the-century houses in Santa Barbara, including these in the West Downtown Neighborhood. tenance. Porch design, scale, and detail vary widely between architec- tural styles. To determine what elements are particularly important on your porch, consult the architectural styles appendix of these Guidelines or contact the Architectural Historian for a consultation.

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COMMON HISTORIC PORCH AND BALCONY ELEMENTS

COLUMNS, POSTS, AND BALUSTRADES

Columns and posts are vertical structural supporting members. Col- umns are round and posts are square and rectangular. Architectural styles feature different styles of columns and posts. A balustrade is a railing with upper and lower horizontal members, known as rails, with vertical balusters of wood or wrought iron. Railings and balus- trades should match the overall material style and character of the building. If railings and balustrades are replaced; hollow, aluminum and thin metal and vinyl are not appropriate materials for these his- toric resources. Consult the Architectural Historian for a sample of an appropriate balustrade for a particular style of building.

This Craftsman has tapered, square posts with decorative brackets under the eaves, with a low wall finished in the same wood shingles as the house, rather than a railing.

This Gothic Revival style Victorian house This Folk Victorian building has square features turned columns with decorative posts with decorative brackets with square This Spanish Colonial Revival porch features simple, square posts and square brackets and turned balusters on the wood balusters in the balustrade surround- balusters on the balustrade with heavy beams under the porch. balustrade. ing the porch.

72 Chapter 2.6: Porches and Balconies Historic Resource Design Guidelines Chapter 2.6: Porches and Balconies City of Santa Barbara

IRONWORK

Santa Barbara’s historic buildings are adorned with beautifully crafted ironwork, mostly made of wrought iron, used for both structural and ornamental purposes. The use of wrought iron details is seen in fences, gates, handrails, cornice components, columns, brackets, balusters, and reyas over windows. All new ironwork should be de- signed to be solid, include decorative ornamental features and of suf- ficient thickness to appear to be authentic hand-wrought ironwork. Aluminum or hollow tubular metals are not appropriate on historic resources.

The Victorian era Queen Anne building features wood steps and porch flooring, turned balusters, and chamfered posts with brackets.

FLOORING AND STEPS

Typical drawing of a wrought iron detail. The steps leading to the Spanish Colo- Historically, flooring and steps on Victorian era and Crafts- George Washington Smith, Architect nial Revival building are terra-cotta and man style houses was typically wood, tongue and groove, 4” painted tile with a simple, wrought iron x 5/4” boards. Many homes have replaced the original tongue balustrade. and groove flooring with concrete which is not an appropriate material for these styles. A protective paint layer will protect the original wood floors. Later styles, like the Spanish Colonial Revival, English Vernacular and Mission Revival style homes have porch floors and steps made of brick, stone or cement.

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BALCONIES

Balconies were used in many different styles to break up the massing of a building. They have always been an essential architectural feature that can be designed as either uncovered or roofed. Small cantile- vered balconies can frame a view and epitomize the character of the building and its architectural style. Balcony railings were typically constructed of turned wood spindles or decorative wrought iron. The underside view of a balcony is critical to the balcony design, often featuring decorative brackets and ornamentation.

Upper-level balconies are prominent features of many Spanish Colonial Revival houses. This house in West Beach neighborhood features a stucco balcony topped with a wrought iron railing and a small Juliette balcony (to the right) made out of wrought iron.

The covered balcony has heavy, wood brackets, on the underside, heavy square The Queen Anne style house has an un- The Spanish Colonial Revival building posts with brackets and wood balusters. covered turned wood balcony balustrade. has a small wrought iron balcony with wrought iron brackets. 74 Chapter 2.6: Porches and Balconies Historic Resource Design Guidelines Chapter 2.6: Porches and Balconies City of Santa Barbara

REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE

Due to the importance porches play in the perception of his- toric resources and streetscapes, original materials and details should be preserved. Porch elements which have deteriorated due to moisture or insect damage should be carefully examined to determine if the entire element is unsalvageable. If only a part of the element is damaged, then piecing in or patching may be a better solution than removal and replacement. If replacement is necessary, carefully document, through photos and careful measure- ments, before the original element is discarded in order to replace the element to match the original.

The porch with round columns and other original details have been maintained and preserved and play an important part in the perception of the historic resource.

The tapered wood posts on top of a brick pier is a signature feature of a Crafts- The small patio of the Stick style house has thin wood posts under the ornate man style porch. gable shaped roof.

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GUIDELINES Not Preferred. 2.6.1 Maintain and preserve original porches. 2.6.2 Paint wood features regularly. 2.6.3 Repair the porch to its original state in terms of design, details, and materi- als. 2.6.4 Replace damaged porch and balcony elements with new elements that match the original design and material. When original details have been lost and must be replaced, designs should be based on historic photograph- ic evidence. If no such evidence exists, the design of replacement details should be based on a combination of physical evidence (indications in the structure of the house itself) and evidence of similar elements on houses of the same architectural style and age in the neighborhood. 2.6.5 Design a new porch to be appropriate to the historic style of the house in terms of scale, location, materials, and detail. 2.6.6 Avoid adding porch elements if they did not exist historically. For example, the addition of decorative “gingerbread” brackets to a Craftsman-style porch is inappropriate. It is not appropriate to replace original columns, posts 2.6.7 Avoid adding a balustrade unless there is evidence that one originally ex- and railings with modern metal posts and columns isted. In many instances, historic porches did not include balustrades. that are different in material, shape, and configuration 2.6.8 Avoid enclosing a porch that was originally open. from the original. 2.6.9 Avoid removing decorative details of the porch or balcony including columns, railings, and brackets. 2.6.10 Avoid installing large open wood decks on the front of historic resources. 2.6.11 Avoid installing exposed conduit, wiring, or junction boxes. 2.6.12 Avoid replacing wood or wrought iron elements with modern vinyl or metal columns and railings made of hollow metal pickets or thin metal that does not match traditional thickness or configuration.

For in-depth technical recommendations on restoration of porches, the National Park Ser- vice, The Secretary of the Interior has published “Preservation Briefs” to help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to project start. Please see Preservation Brief 45 at http://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs.htm

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