123-0051

Exchange Building

VLR Listing Date

11/05/1968

NRHP Listing Date

06/11/1969

NHL Listing Date

11/11/1971
1971-11-11

NRHP Reference Number

69000322

This splendid Greek Revival building was completed in 1841 to house the Exchange, the city of Petersburg’s commodities auction house. Records show that the construction was supervised by a “Mr. Berrien” of New York, probably James Berrien, a New York architect. Calvin Pollard corresponded with Berrien on the project, hence it is speculated that Pollard may have been involved with the design, as he was architect for the Petersburg Courthouse and the first St. Paul’s Church. As originally constructed, the Exchange stood on an open ground floor where the products were displayed and traded. Auctions and public meetings took place in the domed hall above. The building was converted into a police court in this century, and the ground level was closed in. Restored by the city in the mid-1970s, it is now The Siege Museum, a museum interpreting Petersburg’s Civil War years and located in Petersburg’s Old Town Historic District.

Last Updated: June 2, 2023

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Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

For additional information Read

Nomination Form

1971 NHL Nomination

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