Also Called the "Old Merchants' Exchange"
Third Street at Chestnut and Pine.
Built in the Italianate style in 1875.
“One of the City´s most important 19th century buildings, the Second Merchants´ Exchange was
a three-story structure, measuring 235 feet by 187 feet. It featured a projecting pedimented
center portico on the western facade. The building housed the combined first Merchants´ Exchange
and the newer Union Exchange that had been established by Northern sympathizers during the Civil
War.
A competition was held for the design of the new building, but the fee demanded by first prize
winner George I. Barnett was deemed too costly, so the project was awarded to second-place Lee
and Annan, at the time a relatively new architectural firm.
Work began in 1873 and was completed in December 1875 at a total construction cost of $2 million.
It was the largest building on the riverfront, designed in a Venetian version of the Italianate
style. While it appeared to be one mammoth structure, it was actually two buildings connected by
a light court.
An iron truss system that supported the roof allowed the second and third stories of the western
half to be a single space, 235 feet long and 98 feet wide and 65 feet tall. At the time, this was
the largest open interior space in the country. The room could hold 10,000 people, and hosted the
1876 Democratic National Convention [Barkley 37-39, Lowic 109-111].”
Source:
Mound City on the Mississippi
The Second Merchant’s Exchange had the largest open room west of the Mississippi river. From
June 27-29, 1876, St. Louis hosted the Democratic National Convention. The nomination of Samuel
J. Tilden of New York, took place in the building with the conventioneers gathered on the trading
floor. Thomas Hendricks of Indiana was Tilden’s vice presidential running mate. This convention
marked the first time that the Democratic party had met west of the Mississippi river.)
The Merchants’ Exchange was built near the river on the site now occupied by the Adams Mark hotel.
It was demolished in 1958.
