Exchange Coffee House, Boston
Encyclopedia
The Exchange Coffee House (1809-1818) was a hotel, coffeehouse, and place of business in Boston
, Massachusetts
in the early 19th-century. Designed by architect Asher Benjamin
, it was located at Congress Square, on Congress Street
, and in its day it was the largest building in Boston, and one of the tallest buildings in northeastern United States. The Exchange burnt to the ground in a giant fire in 1818. Its financial backers, including Gilbert & Dean
, irrevocably lost thousands of dollars.
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...
in the early 19th-century. Designed by architect Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin
Asher Benjamin was an American architect and author whose work transitioned between Federal style architecture and the later Greek Revival. His seven handbooks on design deeply influenced the look of cities and towns throughout New England until the Civil War...
, it was located at Congress Square, on Congress Street
Congress Street (Boston)
Congress Street in Boston, Massachusetts is located in the Financial District and South Boston. It was first named in 1800. It was extended in 1854 as far as Atlantic Avenue, and in 1874 across Fort Point Channel into South Boston...
, and in its day it was the largest building in Boston, and one of the tallest buildings in northeastern United States. The Exchange burnt to the ground in a giant fire in 1818. Its financial backers, including Gilbert & Dean
Gilbert & Dean
Gilbert & Dean was a banking and publishing firm in Boston, Massachusetts, run by Samuel Gilbert and Thomas Dean in the early 19th-century...
, irrevocably lost thousands of dollars.
Further reading
- The Reading Room and Marine Diary in the Exchange Coffee House, 1810. Bostonian Society Publications 8 (1911): 123-131.
- Harold Kirker. Boston Exchange Coffee House. Old-Time New England v.52, no.185, Summer 1961.
- Jack Quinan. The Boston Exchange Coffee House. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 38, no. 3 (1975): 256-262.
- Jane Kamensky. Exchange Artist. Viking, 2008.