If you travel to New York City and happen by Central Park, you'll most likely see the horse carriages for hire. They generally seat four humans and charge around $150 for a 45-minute tour of the lower end of the park.

Salt Lake City used to offer carriage rides. But in August 2013, a carriage horse by the name of Jerry collapsed downtown and died from heatstroke. It was captured on video, went viral and 15 months later, the Salt Lake City Council unanimously outlawed horse-drawn carriages in the capital city.

Back before cars, there were wagons, carriages and horses to get you from here to there. Many standing homes in Salt Lake—especially in the Marmalade, Avenues, University, Harvard/Yale and Sugar House areas—still have carriage houses and even small barns where the "transportation" was kept at night. Nowadays, these structures are either small garages or have been converted to studio apartments and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

If you're walking or driving around downtown or in the Avenues area and periodically see a large sandstone block in front of a home, generally very close to the curb, you've stumbled onto a wee bit of history there.

The point of the big square rock by the curb was to enable humans to get up onto a horse or vehicle without using a ladder. They served as both a practical and decorative element in front of homes and public buildings—and were a symbol of social status.

I drive by these stone blocks all the time. There are five that I know of on South Temple alone (529, 731, 808 and 1135 E. South Temple) including one at 1167 E. South Temple with the name "Lynch" carved into it, which was probably the name of the original homeowners who lived there.

In the mid-19th century, when Latter-day Saint pioneers settled in the Salt Lake Valley, they brought with them their knowledge of construction and architectural traditions. The use of sandstone—which is abundant in the surrounding Wasatch Mountains—in foundations for homes and businesses, became prevalent due to its durability as rock and its availability nearby in Red Butte Canyon.

Sandstone carriage steps were essential in the city's early days. They were sometimes meticulously carved and crafted by skilled stonemasons, adding an element of elegance to the streetscape. They are generally about 1 foot tall, 2 feet wide and 2 feet long.

Are they protected? Michaela Oktay, deputy director for Salt Lake City Planning, says, "The historic overlay would protect any carriage steps from being removed if they were on a landmark site or within a local historic district. I have never had someone actually want to remove them to my knowledge."

Oktay added that most of the existing steps sit on public, not private, property. "Generally, they are in the right of way," Oktay said. "The city owns that land and would also have to approve removal if they were alerted to the removal."