Livery stables were staples in community

First of two parts. Read part two.

Sometimes the doors of history close on an era so quietly that hardly anyone notices.

Such was the case on Dec. 16, 1950, when Charlottesville’s last recognizable livery stable was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the horses, saddles, harnesses, hay and grain that had once been housed in the structure, located on the northwest corner of East Market Street and Meade Avenue, had long since departed.

During its last years of existence the building had been used to store waste paper. The estimated monetary loss was placed between $25 and $30, but the historical loss in terms of what it had once represented was incalculable.

Before the combustion engine made the livery stable obsolete, the stables had dotted the Charlottesville landscape. Their final glory years came during the first decade of the 20th century, before motorized vehicles had made much of an impact.

Parking deck, and more

During their time, livery stables were essential to towns of just about any size. They were places where one could rent a horse or board one, within walking distance of a hotel or home.

These establishments often offered pickup and delivery services for people, as well as for heavy items. If one needed to move a heavy object like a dresser, visit a relative in the country or just take a Sunday ride, it all started at the nearby livery.

Nearly as important as the transportation they provided, these places also served as gathering points for men and boys. Perhaps with sprigs of hay being worried back and forth in their mouths, old-timers and young men would regale each other with stories, as boys looked on with wide-eyed wonder.

Livery stables in Charlottesville ranged from the simple and functional to the downright fancy. When W.A. Irving got into the business in 1898, he quickly took it to an impressive level.

The Fluvanna County native did such a good job that he needed to expand his facility in 1905. With the addition of the new building it became 528 and 530 E. Main St.

Tall in the saddle

The three-story brick structure consisted of 15,744 square feet of floor space. It had stalls for 56 horses, in addition to four box stalls for stock horses and thoroughbreds.

The first two floors were where the horses were kept. Large elevators were used to carry animals up to the second floor. The lifts also were used to transport hay and grain throughout the building from the storage area on the top floor.

Although livery stables traditionally had been bastions for males, Irving apparently was a forward thinker. Directly across from his front office he had installed a ladies’ waiting room.

Women returning from an outing likely were overjoyed to find their own special room equipped with a lavatory, mirrors and everything needed to freshen up.

The horses being boarded in the establishment likely were happy about their accommodations as well. Irving was known for using only the best feed and for employing a number of grooms to care for the horses. He knew that the glossy coats of the well-kept animals would serve as great advertising for his company.

One of Irving’s specialties was transporting commercial goods and products throughout Albemarle County. His large freight wagons were familiar sights throughout the countryside.

Caskets often needed hauling. Like a lot of livery stable owners, Irving got involved in the undertaking business, and he became the Irving in the Irving-Way-Hill funeral home.

Another fine boarding stable in town was Payne’s Livery at 625 W. Main St. This three-story brick building sported an impressive arched entranceway that was easily wide enough to accompany at least six draft horses standing shoulder to shoulder.

This stable offered 32 horses for rent, ranging from a trustworthy dobbin a child could ride to a “spirited stepper that a renowned whip would handle with pleasure.” Because it was near the University of Virginia, it made a point of catering to students.

Of course, male students often were interested in taking lady friends on carriage rides out to Fry’s Spring or the surrounding countryside. To this end, Payne’s Livery offered carriages both open and closed.

Another fine establishment in this line of business was Palace Sales Stables at 242 W. Main St. In 1906 it was trying to set itself apart a bit from the competition by using the latest technology.

That year it touted itself as being the only livery stable in the state to offer grooming services for horses using an electric clipper and cleaner.

An advertisement declared that even when a horse had just come off the pasture, it could be clipped and cleaned in less than 15 minutes.

The year 1906 would mark the beginning of the end for livery stables in Charlottesville. That year J.P. “Dry Goods” Ellington steered the first car down the city’s dirt streets.

The era of the automobile took its time arriving. It was another year before Henry B. Sparks, a local bicycle repairman, got himself a horseless carriage.

Two more years passed before five more cars were added to the traffic congestion on city streets. Then the floodgates opened.

By the start of the Roaring ’20s, there were 145,340 cars on Virginia roads. But in 1906, most people couldn’t have predicted what was about to happen.

Certainly a lot of stable owners must have felt secure as they watched good old Dry Goods go sputtering by.

Next: Fading into history.