>>106726>>106717>>106719The task itself concerns a set of buildings built along the shoreline in Red Heart: 33 South Hoebuck. Actually several buildings connected together, at least three from one perspective.
In the early days of Baltimare, this location had been one among many fortresses that guarded Baltimare Harbor, and gave Equestrian customs and garrisons a base of operations. That worked well until days of Flash Prance's Stand against the fiery horde. Flask Prance's position held, but not the fort on the promontory, and much of the structure was burnt down, including surrounding buildings and the larger stables, as well as the then-roof. Not all was lost, as much of the structure, particularly lower levels, was built of brick and stone, and the position was briefly converted into a military prison, and only during this period was the little avenue leading to old fortress, "hoebuck," turned into a formal road. This proved infeasible as the fortress on the edge of the peninsula was a more suitable location, and it was only used in that way for six years. The rising City of Baltimare found use for the structure as a debtor's prison. Those who were unable to pay off court fees and fines, and in some instances, private loans, could find themselves imprisoned until they were able to pay the debts off.
This period saw the structure gain most of its present form. The southern most structure, which had been at the core of the original fortress, was brick and stone, and had a number of rooms housing ponies, or so it would have been ponies back in those old days. The northern most structure consisted of several - three, for most of its history - open floors that could be used as workshops. Ponies would work in these workshops until they had paid off their debts. Horse shoe mending and sewing dominated the industrial output of the clump, and the production there has modernized with production more generally. Steam production and fire for forges were added in an attached structure in 834. In the center was a building partly of stone and brick that became the administrative center, and the location of the cafeteria and associated necessities. This was partly a new construction, and partly built upon the remnant of the old fortification.
After more than a century of operation, the debtor's prison shut down upon the passage of laws against debtor's prisons in 861. The site was transferred by the city over to the Order of the Sisters of Saint Eligius, who rechristened it as the Baltimare Maredalene Asylum. The idea behind the Asylum was simple and noble - to provide mares who had fallen into prostitution, or who had conceived foals out of wedlock, a chance to rehabilitate themselves, come closer to the principles of harmony, and to ultimately get back on their hooves. It started as voluntary commitment, but eventually became the destination for some female criminal sentenced there by a court. Patients were expected to pay for their stay by performing labor in the workshop, besides a necessary commitment to the religious aspect. A chapel was built in the center structure, and the most coercive aspects of the dormitory hall were removed, like the bars.
Nevertheless, after many decades of operation, the Baltimare Maredalene Asylum became the subject of public criticism. Allegedly, abuse of many patients took place, particularly as the rate of successful rehabilitation was low, and working conditions in the work shop were often poor, or had the mares working overly long hours. After more than a century of operation, in 973, the Church and the Order closed the Asylum, and ceded the structures back to the City
The city operated the site as the Hoebuck Poor House - a relatively mundane and uneventful operation - for two decades, before it was sold to Sweet Boek in exchange for properties owned in the western part of the city. Thus begins 33 Hoebuck's modern history.
Another structure implicates itself in the present tale: what was formerly known as the Church of the Sacred Heart. An ancient structure, founded as early as 622, the largely stone structure that appears today is mostly what was built up after a fire destroyed most of it in 762. It was founded in the austere, tall style of the Marestel ponies, who operated it as a Harmonist Ponetarian church for much of its history. Around 800, it was converted into a Severyanan Orthodox Church, and was dressed somewhat more ornately, with a few new additions to the structure added. It continued to opperate in such a fashion until it ceased operations in 960. In 980, it began a new life as a Temple of Boreas, albeit an informal one, still bearing most of the signs and symbols of its existence as Sacred Heart. The Temple is used to teach dancing lessons every other Wednesday, and has become fairly rundown, as it does not have a formal patronage, but rather is an informal meeting place of some of the area's devout griffin population. The church is only a few blocks away from 33 Hoebeck, being one street further away from the water on Horseman Avenue, and right across from the Gilman Hotel