Answer:

When someone says they found a horseshoe in the kitchen, they’re usually referring to a decorative piece. This horseshoe was found while renovators were redoing the plumbing of the Old Jailhouse restaurant in Sanford, Fla.

According to the restaurant’s website, the building dates back to at least 1890. It was built by William J. Hill and served as a blacksmith and wagon shop. No records have been found of its original name. In 1910, the building was converted into the E.E. Brady Livery Feed and Sales Stables. The business offered horses, buggies and mule teams for hire, much like a modern-day car-rental facility.

Over the years, the building that began as a blacksmith shop served time as a jailhouse, a hub for the health department and a dry cleaner.

The shoe hasn’t been dated, but it could belong to one of the horses from the blacksmithing days, making the shoe over 100 years old.

The restaurant opened Feb. 12, 2019, and is now serving customers in the same place where horses once had their feet trimmed and shod.

Source: Old Jailhouse restaurant website

Contributions

Do you have a shoe or tool that you’d like to share or want more information about? Submit photos of your item, as well as its history and how it was used to Jeff Cota at jcota@lessitermedia.com.

April 2019 Issue Contents