Merchants Exchange (Boston)

The Merchants Exchange building (1842-1890) in Boston, Massachusetts was built in 1841 from a design by architect Isaiah Rogers. Centrally located on State Street, it functioned as a hub for business activities in the city.

Merchant's Exchange, Boston, 1852

History

The Merchants Exchange served as one of Boston's "great gathering-points of the traders -- the marble-paved and frescoed hall ... with its newspaper files, bulletins, wind vane, and ship registry."^[1] It was "elegant ... with a fine reading-room, ... and besides accommodations for the post office, and for several insurance and brokers' offices, affords many conveniences for the mercantile community."^[2]

Architecture

Built in 1841-1842 by architect Isaiah Rogers, Merchants Exchange was considered "among the best specimens of architecture in Boston"^[3] and "a dignified building in its day."^[4] Re-modelling occurred after the building "went down" in the fire of 1872.^[5][6]

After 1890, the "Exchange Building" occupied the site of the former Merchants Exchange building.^[4]

Function

The building housed business activities, such as:

• Board of Trade (est. 1854)^[6]
• Boston Board of Marine Underwriters (est. 1850)^[6]
• Boston Marine Society^[6]
• Boston Stock Exchange (1844-1853)^[6]
• Commercial Exchange (est. 1871)^[6]
• Post-Office (ca.1860-1872)^[7]
• Soldiers' Messenger Corps^[6]