Porch swings… Are they a Southern thing?

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DBE1BA3D-1D86-454C-BEA6-EA574BA1143AI have always liked the idea of a porch swing. Growing up near Lake Michigan, we would string up a hammock between two trees OR bring a lawn chair down to the beach to watch the sunset. A porch swing with lemonade was what we saw in the movies.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Felder Rushing’s Blog post, “Put a Bounce in Your Swing.” His story is wonderfully written about his father’s love for the porch swing and fine tuning the springs, so that it would be a perfect ride. The swing was also a place where his father’s creative ideas were imagined!

Reading Felder’s post reinforced why I have always found the idea of a porch swing relaxing. There is something traditional about taking time for ourselves to sit, swing, let our minds wander and enjoy nature.

Oh, and if you believe in saints, Felder has you covered. GET THIS, St. Proculus of Verona is known as the swinging saint. I would never have known this! You can read about him here…  “Swinging Garden Saints.”

That brings me back to my question, “Why do porch swings seem to be a Southern thing?”

30 thoughts on “Porch swings… Are they a Southern thing?”

  1. I think of porch swings as more of a lake thing than a southern thing…. but maybe that’s because we have a lake house in the north! Come visit me, Moni!

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  2. I’m going with weather, and northern architecture not really using front porches. I’m thinking about my suburban neighborhood, and I can’t recall anyone having a porch.

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    1. I have a friend in Oregon who has a big porch and they get snow in the winter, but in the summer it is lovely. But you are right, it probably does have something to do with weather and architecture… I’m curious about this. 🙂

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      1. My friend lives in Pennsylvania. She’s most looking forward to retiring so she can move south and get a house with a big front porch and swing

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  3. I love porch swings. I had a great Aunt who had a porch and we would sit on the porch swing, talk and have a great time. I was very young but I remember it. It’s one of my fondest memories of her. She lived in Ohio.

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  4. The porch swing was one of my fondest memories of my grandparent’s house – one of those big, free-standing metal ones with the canopy over the top. And speaking of porches, apparently they’re unique to American houses – not really found anywhere else in the world. The Italians have their piazzas, the French have their sidewalk cafes… Americans need to bring back front porches to spend more time outside and with our neighbors.

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  5. Early Australian architecture had what is called the Colonial or later Federation style. To keep the sun and rain away from the windows, a wide verandah (not called porch) fronted the house (or often ran around two sides) covered with bullnose corrugated iron roofing. Cane chairs and hanging fern baskets made a cooler place to relax after a hard day. Railings ran around the verandah either wooden or cast iron filigree nicknamed Sydney Lace. These homesteads were usually raised so there was a flight of steps leading up to the front door. The southern States had blue stone homes while the northern States (in the tropics) used wood but the verandahs remained the same. Replications of this style are in every city today but those which have survived over 150 years are highly prized and carry hefty price tags. Due to the advent of air-conditioning, closed-in brick homes are now the norm. Coming back to your original post 🙂 Federation homes had smaller, squarer front verandahs but no swing seat. Today, family living is usually done on the back decking overlooking the pool! This website offers insight https://www.auburnwoodturning.com.au/life-iconic-aussie-verandah

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on verandahs versus porches coming from Australia. For some reason, I found your message in my spam folder, good thing I decided to check, because you have a really interesting message. It’s true times change. I think if some of us miss porch swings, it’s not the swing, but the special family time we had with parents/grandparents on that porce swing. THANK YOU for the link, I’m going to look at it!! Have a great day!

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    2. So, you don’t allow for comments, so I have to send a comment through my Blog. :). LOVED your post today on Queen Elizabeth! I didn’t know she had two birthdays. Such adorable pictures of her. Is it true that she is saying that Prince Charles will become King? Will you write something about Prince Harry’s marriage? I’ll be watching. 🙂

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      1. I always smile at your Comments persistence 🙂 I also love those pictures, talk about beautiful colour coordination. It took awhile to compile and while I did so, I found it hard to believe her age! Yes, Prince Charles in next in line to the throne and since Queen Elizabeth is growing old and Prince Phillip is ailing, there will probably be a handover. Much nicer to do it before a death. Oh, Prince Harry is such a scallywag, marriage will change him.

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      2. Well, I’m glad that Prince Charles becomes King. He’s been in training for it since he was a child. This also takes pressure of of Prince William. Scalywag – I like that word! He seems happy and found someone outside of the norm, let’s see how that goes. Fergie was bragging in an article that Prince Andrew was the love of her life, but that trying to be accepted into something she was not born into was difficult. Look forward to the wedding!

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    1. Thanks for sharing! I think we need to start a Porch Swing club. Actually, wouldn’t that be funny to have a travel trip to hotels that have porch swings! I bet the hotel on Mackinac Island has one. Porch swings are going to make a come back…!

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  10. Hi, I found you on Community Pool. Nice to meet you!

    I’m not sure what makes them a Southern thing, but I am pretty sure I would not want to be called the swinging saint – people might get the wrong idea.

    I really love the idea of a swing on the porch, a great place to socialise with passers by, a great place to air your thoughts and clear your mind. But I wonder whether life is too busy these days – do we have time in a day to spend ruminating on suspended park benches? I know I wish I did.

    You have a lovely style to your writing, it was an enjoyable read. Thanks for posting.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by. I’ve going to visit you as well. I was just sitting on a park bench today. I think sometimes we just have to “make time” to sit for a few minutes, not check cell phones, etc. I sat on the bench for about 10 minutes, it was very nice, I read the newspaper. 🙂

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      1. I agree! It is so important to try to make time for ourselves with such busy lives. So tell me, will you be investing in the swinging bench? I think I would like one if I had a porch 🙂

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