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[REV 25-NOV-2014]

New York circa 1900-1906. "Terminal building, Hudson River -- Erie Railway, Chambers Street Ferry Terminal." 5x7 nitrate negative, Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size.
These platforms may have been used to verify the dimensions of horse-drawn carriages to ensure compliance with the ferry company’s size requirements, similar to the cabin baggage size-check stations commonly found at airports today.
The carriage would drive over them - notice the sloped/worn one in the foreground - and then the passengers could use the railings to more easily disembark (or embark by forming a que on the wooden area).
Hoof and boot scrapers maybe. King size.
As previously mentioned a Hitching Post for horses seems to make sense.
However they also seem to be the right height for the typical tail gates on the horse drawn wagons. Could they be used to somehow facilitate loading/unloading of wagons?
What are those platforms in the open space?
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