The Merchants Exchange building (1842-1890) in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 was built in 1841 from a design by architect Isaiah Rogers

Isaiah Rogers

Isaiah Rogers was a US architect who practiced in Mobile, Alabama, Boston, Massachusetts, New York City, and Cincinnati, Ohio.-Background:...

. Centrally located on State Street

State Street (Boston)

State Street is a major street in the financial district in Boston, Massachusetts and is one of the oldest streets in the city. The street is the site of some historic landmarks. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace can also be found nearby...

, it functioned as a hub for business activities in the city.

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." 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."

Architecture

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

Great Boston Fire of 1872

The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston's largest urban fire, and still ranks as one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history. The conflagration began at 7:20 p.m. on November 9, 1872, in the basement of a commercial warehouse at 83—87 Summer Street in Boston,...

.

After 1890, the "Exchange Building" occupied the site of the former Merchants Exchange building.

Function

The building housed business activities, such as:

• Board of Trade (est. 1854)
• Boston Board of Marine Underwriters (est. 1850)
• Boston Marine Society
  Boston Marine Society
  The Boston Marine Society is a charitable organization in Boston, Massachusetts, formed "to 'make navigation more safe' and to relieve members and their families in poverty or other 'adverse accidents in life.'" Membership generally consists of current and former ship captains...
  
  
• Boston Stock Exchange
  Boston Stock Exchange
  The Boston Stock Exchange is a regional stock exchange located in Boston, Massachusetts. The third-oldest stock exchange in the United States, it was founded in 1834...
  
   (1844-1853)
• Commercial Exchange (est. 1871)
• Post-Office
  United States Postal Service
  The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
  
  (ca.1860-1872)
• Soldiers' Messenger Corps