Arabber Preservation Society

The Arabber Preservation Society was created in 1994 to help the Retreat Street stable comply with city building codes. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and preservation of Baltimore's horse-cart vendors (the arabbers) and functional horse-cart vending (arabbing). We recognize arabbing as an African-American folk tradition; an economically viable system and a method of apprenticeship unique to Baltimore. In recent years some of the last stables and arabbers have not been able to survive. The Arabber Preservation Society is dedicated to helping them continue their vital and autonomous economy without interference.
What is an Arabber? An arabber (or a-rabber) is a street vendor (hawker) selling fruits and vegetables from a colorful, horse-drawn cart. Once a common sight in American East Coast cities, only a handful of arabbers still walk the streets of Baltimore. They rely on street cries to attract the attention of their customers. Mapping Baltimore Arabber a Masters thesis by Sydney Jenkins <PDF>
M. Holden Warren Vice-President 443.683.7218 Holden@arabbers.com James Chase President 443.675.8404 Dan Van Allen President Emeritus 443.418.7958