I know everyone has heard more than enough about awnings, but here's my $.02.

We talk about their demise (except at ground floor retail where they
flourish) but when did they start?  Was there an awning mechanism invention
that made awnings for everyone possible?  If so, I would guess after the
Civil War, c. 1880's.  So, perhaps this was a fad, not a really long-term
architectural trend, like windows and doors and roofs.  And perhaps, by the
1950's, the original awnings wore out and weren't replaced because they
weren't needed as badly and because (as mentioned) they were no longer
fashionable.

Sorry I missed IPTW, sounds like it was great.

Mary Dierickx