The Carolina Rain Porch: A Southern Vernacular Considered

Author

• Jackson M. DentFollow

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Historic Preservation

Committee Chair/Advisor

Laurel Bartlett

Committee Member

Amanda Brown

Committee Member

Craig Bennett

Abstract

The “rain porch,” also known as the “Carolina porch,” is a distinctive vernacular porch type concentrated in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region and sporadically found in neighboring states. Despite its strong regional identity, the form has received little sustained scholarly attention. This thesis presents a comprehensive study of the rain porch, examining its origins, chronology, geographic distribution, and architectural variation. Defined by an extended porch roof supported by free-standing columns set forward of porch deck, the rain porch represents a purposeful environmental adaptation within nineteenth-century domestic architecture. The research integrates archival sources, National Register of Historic Places survey data, mapping, fieldwork, and measured drawings to document known examples and identify patterns across a range of house types, including spraddle-roof cottages, Ihouses, and monumental Greek Revival dwellings. The study further situates the rain porch within the settlement history of the Pee Dee and migration patterns tied to cotton expansion in the antebellum era to analyze its development and diffusion. By establishing a typology of rain porch forms and tracing their geographic distribution and spatial patterns, this thesis reframes the rain porch from an overlooked architectural feature to a defining component of South Carolina’s vernacular landscape, encouraging broader recognition and deeper scholarly engagement.

Recommended Citation

Dent, Jackson M., "The Carolina Rain Porch: A Southern Vernacular Considered" (2026). All Theses. 4716.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4716