Houston Cotton Exchange and Board of Trade
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1874 to facilitate trade in the expanding cotton market. This Victorian renaissance revival edifice, designed by Eugene T. Heiner, was built in 1884-85 by contractors Max Kosse and James S. Lucas. The exchange room and galleries were situated on the second and third floors, and the first floor contained offices and the exclusive "Houston Club." The basement housed a plush saloon. The structure was remodeled and the fourth floor added in 1907. The exchange vacated the premises in 1924. The building was restored in 1973. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1974
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1874 as cotton flooded through the booming port city, the Houston Cotton Exchange and Board of Trade built this Victorian Renaissance Revival hall in 1884–85 to the design of architect Eugene T. Heiner. Trading floors and galleries filled the upper stories while the exclusive Houston Club and a basement saloon served the merchants below; a fourth floor was added in 1907. The exchange departed in 1924 and the building was restored in 1973.
Why it matters
Cotton exchanges were the nerve centers of the postbellum Southern economy, and Houston's marks the city's rise as a commercial capital.
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Related people
- · Eugene T. Heiner
Themes & tags
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