Livery yard

Facilities at a livery yard normally include a loose box or stable and access for the horse to graze on grass.

The livery stable was a necessary institution of every American town, but its role has been generally overlooked by historians.

In addition to providing vital transportation service, the livery usually also sold hay, grain, coal, and wood.

Because of the stench, noise, and vermin that surrounded the livery, cities and towns attempted to control their locations and activities.

Often the scene of gambling, cockfighting, and stag shows, they were condemned as sources of vice.