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What is this hole in my porch called?

English Language & Usage Asked by thomj1332 on August 7, 2021

Is there a name for these types of holes built into the stone wall of this front porch?

enter image description here

My particular house was built about 100 years ago and it has one. The above image is of a more modern home design. Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com

Side question: I am also wondering if someone could tell me what it is for — is it purely aesthetics?


Here are a few photos of the ___________ in the wall of my front porch.

From the yard

From the porch

One Answer

Provided it is open at the bottom and top, it's a combination 'access to the crawl space' and 'porch drainage'.

I have done a number of searches based on 'Craftsman porch design', and I cannot find a special name for it.

It appears to be a classic field stone arch. Most of these homes have a latticed skirting covering the access to the crawlspace. They provide ventilation to the underparts of the porch, which unless airy, can become a dark and dank snake and rodent haven. When dry, our canine companions find it a cool place to take a snooze, especially during the dog days of summer*.


*I seem to recall a Michael J Fox movie filmed in Georgia, and a sweat-gland-less family that sleep beneath their porch during the hot nights.


Update:

Phil Sweet has suggested 'scupper', and I thought that was only nautical, however,

an outlet in the side of a building for draining water.

Lexico

Given the position of the outlets, they appear to be drains; in other words 'scuppers'.

Scuppers would be the best suggestion.

Answered by Cascabel on August 7, 2021

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