porte-cochère

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A typical 19th century porte-cochère

A porte-cochere (French porte-cochère, literally "coach gate", also called a carriage porch) is the architectural term for a porch or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building, through which it is possible for a horse and carriage or motor vehicle to pass, in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.

Example seen from behind at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, built starting in 1864 in Norwalk, Connecticut

The porte-cochere was a feature of many late 18th and 19th-century mansions and public buildings. Well-known examples are at Buckingham Palace in London and the White House in Washington D.C. Modern examples of porte-cochere exist in Central Milton Keynes on the boulevard system. Today a porte-cochère is often constructed at the entrance to public buildings such as churches, hotels, health facilities, homes, and schools where people are delivered by other drivers. Porte-cochères should not be confused with carports in which vehicles are parked; at a porte-cochère the vehicle merely passes through, stopping only for a passenger to get out.

At the foot of the porte-cochere, there are often a couple of guard stones to prevent the wheels of the vehicle from damaging the wall.