FREMONT STREET STABLE
1102 N Fremont Street
photo taken and mural painted by Gaia. Image taken from Gaia's personal Flickr page, seen HERE.
Fremont Avenue Stable is the only active Arabbing stable. It opened at a time when the Arabbers were worried about the survivability of the trade. When the stable opened in 2000, the city had recently shut down several main stables. In 2000, the number of active Arabbers had dipped down to below 10, the older generation of Arabbers were dying, and many felt the trade would not last for another ten to fifteen years.[1]
Frances Mason, a member of the Arabber Preservation Society, made a generous donation, by handing over the Fremont Avenue property to the Arabber Preservation Society. In a Baltimore Sun article, Mason was noted to have said that it was her intention to keep the once-prevalent, symbol of Baltimore and way of life alive.[2] The Arabbers celebrated the opening of this new stable in a ceremony with singing and rejoicing. Throughout the ceremony, those present thanks God for answering their prayers.[3]
James “Fruit” Chase, now the president of the Arabber Preservation Society as well as Fremont Avenue’s stable manager, was present for this ceremony in 2000. He and the other active members of the Arabbing community have remained positive about the future of Arabbing, and he big dreams for this stable. In recent years, the Arabber Preservation Society has formed a partnership with the Maryland Horse Industry Board in hopes to get the certified as an Arabber Discovery Center. In this capacity, the property would continue to serve as an active Arabbing stable, but would also serve as a living history site open for field trips, after-school programs, and summer camps. The space would also serve the community as an event space hosting events promoting African American history and culture, horse culture, and healthy eating. The Arabber Preservation Society hopes to foster their relationship with Baltimore City’s Office of Sustainability to partner with local farmers markets and to make their produce SNAP! and EBT card accessible.
[1] The Film Foundry, Inc. We Are Arabbers, DVD, (2005).
[2] “A-rab, 80, takes his last ride,” The Baltimore Sun (July 11, 2000) p 7.
[3] The Film Foundry, Inc. We Are Arabbers, DVD, (2005).