ALTERED PORCH OF THE JAMES PHELPS HOUSE IN ESSEX CONNECTICUT, 1845

This fine example of Greek Revival architecture is one of the many well-kept historic homes in Essex, Connecticut, a river town steeped in oceangoing history.

Though it is a beautiful home, I am curious about the siding on the first floor. The photograph, unfortunately, makes it look like a solid wall of concrete or stucco. It is not. It is wood.

The siding on the second floor is clapboard, an overlapping beveled six inch board well-known from Colonial to modern times. It is inexpensive and does a great job of keeping out the rain. The fact that it stops at the top of the first floor is what piques my curiosity.

The first floor siding is not overlapping, but tongue-in-groove planking. This makes it extremely susceptible to water infiltration, and therefore is seldom (never) used as an exposed siding.

Unless it was never meant to be exposed.

Examination of the portico to the left shows it to be of very new construction. The foundation and paving is of new slate flagstone, which is not native (granite is the local rock), and the trim does not match anything else on the house.

My guess (and it is only a guess) is that the original porch spanned the entire length of the house. The tongue-in-groove siding was likely protected by the long-gone porch roof above. Porches are the most susceptible part of the house to water infiltration, and so are the most likely part of any home to be damaged and then removed.

Only closer examination of the siding would prove if my guess is correct; there would be filled holes and possibly paint lines showing since-removed structural members or brackets.

I did not open the gate and get close enough to see.