Horse Heaven
Feb 11, 2016
In 1860, when grand homes were being built along Walnut Street west of Rittenhouse Square, the need arose for grand stables nearby.
An entire block of a side street–then called Heberton, now Chancellor–was upgraded to house the carriages and steeds of the new Rittenhouse elite. The street was paved with granite blocks and widened to twice the usual side-street width, so that carriages could be driven directly in and out of stable doors, instead of being dragged by humans into the street and then turned before hitching the horses.
Five of the stables have survived; they are now condos and office suites, with garage parking in back. The block is a popular site for wedding photography.
In back of the stables is a much narrower street–Millowney then, St. James now–that housed the servants.