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None of the porches show any signs of intensive use and that suggests that their use is non-material. They ares status symbols, that is, related to ideas and beliefs. The builders could afford to build them--and could afford not to use them. Compare this with Fort Frederica where no one had the time or money to build porches.Most parts of houses have clearly visible functional roles. The family cooks and possibly eats in the kitchen, bathes in the bathroom, and sleeps in the bedrooms. Compare the functional uses of the Union Street houses with the homes of Fort Frederica and St. Augustine and note the changes over time and between cultures. This is even more striking if one looks at house styles world wide.
The size of a house can--but not always--indicate the size and/or social importance of the family occupying it. Elites tend to have larger and more opulently designed and furnished houses.
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