Charleston Horse Power: Equine Culture in the Palmetto City

Discover the fascinating history and legacy of working equines in Charleston, South Carolina.

Featuring thorough research, absorbing storytelling, and captivating photographs, Charleston Horse Power takes readers back to an equine-dominated city of the past, in which horses and mules pervaded all aspects of urban life. Author, scholar, and preservationist Christina Rae Butler describes carriage types and equines roles (both privately owned animals and those in the city's streets, fire, and police department herds), animal power in industrial settings, regulations for animals and their drivers, horse-racing culture, and Charleston's equine lifestyles and architecture. Butler profiles the people who made their living with horses and mules--from drivers, grooms, and carriage makers, to farriers, veterinarians, and trainers.

Charleston Horse Power is a richly illustrated and comprehensive examination of the social and cultural history and legacy of Charleston's equine economy. Urban historians, historic preservationists, general readers, and Charleston visitors interested in discovering a vital aspect of the city's past and present will enjoy and appreciate this impressive work.

Christina Rae Butler is professor of Historic Preservation at the American College of Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as an adjunct faculty member at the College of Charleston in the Historic Preservation and Community Planning Program. She is the owner/operator of Butler Preservation LLC, a private preservation firm engaged in cultural resource management in Charleston. Butler also works as a barn shift manager for Palmetto Carriage Works in Charleston where she cares for horses and mules, drives carriages, and trains new staff. She lives in Charleston.