Philadelphia Exchange

The magnificent building in front of you testifies to 19th Century Philadelphia’s importance as a financial hub. The Philadelphia (Merchants’) Exchange opened in 1834, and stood in the commercial heart of the city. Merchants, manufacturers, brokers and shipmasters all gathered here to trade stocks and commodities, and to learn the latest business news. <br><br> The Exchange has been called architect William Strickland’s &#8220;Philadelphia Masterpiece.&#8221; Strickland, who broke with British traditions and became a leader in Greek Revival architecture, also designed the Second Bank of the United States on Chestnut Street, and the Tennessee state capitol in Nashville. <br><br> The Philadelphia Exchange has been restored on the exterior only. The building is not open to the public. <br><br> <i>(sidebar)</i><br>&#8220;It is indeed a superb classic building, a credit to the skill of its architect, Mr. Strickland, . . . and a lasting monument of the enterprise and liberality of our Merchants, and an ornament to Philadelphia.&#8221; <i>&#8212;Bricknell’s Counterfeit Detector, 1834.</i>