I like front porches.  I’ve mentioned that a few times, most notably in this entry.  I like the looks of a porch, the philosophy behind them, and the need for my mind to have one at my disposal.

So what’s a porch without a house?  Not quite the same thing.  No front door to wander out of to pass some time on the porch.  No roof to keep the rain off.  No inside, presumably heated, shelter in the winter.  And no bathroom handy.

I ran across this porch without a home this summer driving through Metropolis, Illinois.  Would love to know why it’s still there.  The house is obviously long gone, maybe in a fire?  Perhaps the plan was to one day build a new house and use the old porch?  I don’t know.

But I do know, now that I have seen one, that sitting on a porch without a house would be no where near as nice as sitting on a porch that has a house.

Speaking of porches.  I found this great corner specimen in Washington, Ohio, on that same road trip this summer.

And porches reminds me of another favorite structure of mine; recycled gas stations.  The one below, found in Easton, Illinois, is of classic design, with a garage added onto the side.  It now serves as someone’s very nice man cave.  This is one of about 40 old and repurposed stations I photographed on that same road trip.  I have added all those photos to my collection, with the new ones on top, in case you want to see them all.

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