Porte-cochère

A porte-cochère (/ˌpɔːrt koʊˈʃɛr/), coach gate or carriage porch is a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage (or motor vehicle) can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.

In modern usage, portes-cochère are still used on some types of buildings such as major public buildings and hotels, where they provide pick-up and drop-off space, for example for dignitaries, taxis and buses.

The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th- and 19th-century mansions and public buildings. Well-known examples are at Buckingham Palace in London and at the White House in Washington, D.C.

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. Portes-cochère differ from carports in which vehicles are parked; at a porte-cochère the vehicle can pass through, stopping for passengers to board or alight.

At the foot of the porte-cochère there are often guard stones, which act as protective bollards to prevent vehicles from damaging the structure.

The Lockwood–Mathews Mansion, built in 1864

The Briarcliff Lodge, built in 1902

The Briarcliff Manor railroad station, built in 1906

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