Wall Street on Fire, Merchants' Exchange

The first Merchants' Exchange building was designed by Martin Euclid Thompson and Josiah R. Brady. It was open for business on May 1, 1827 and the building, one of the largest buildings in the City of New York at the time, was completed in July. It was home of the New York Stock and Exchange Board, the post office (basement), the Chamber of Commerce and other offices.

On the night of December 16, 1835, a fire started in a large warehouse at 25 Merchant Street (now Beaver Street). Later, several buildings were engulfed in flames, including the Merchants' Exchange on Wall Street, which was destroyed. The flames raged from 16 to 24 hours, killed two people, destroyed almost 700 buildings and three or four vessels at the wharf's on South Street. This dreadful event became known as "the Great Conflagration of 1835".

Phelps Stokes (Iconography of Manhattan Island, ... 1918), made the following comments on a black and white version of this engraving:

«Only known state of the best, rarest, and most interesting, of the early fire views. The Merchants’ Exchange, erected in 1825-7, is shown, as are also the offices of “The Fulton Insurance Company” and “The New York American.” This newspaper began publication in 1819, and continued until 1845, when it was absorbed by the Courier & Inquirer.

The alley named “Exchange Pl.,” east of the Merchants’ Exchange, is the present Hanover Street.

The Post Office appears in the basement of the Exchange. It had moved to this location in 1827. After the fire it was established temporarily in a building called the Rotunda, in City Hall Park. On December 28, 1835, the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution calling for the erection of an additional building adjoining the Rotunda for the accommodation of the Post Office. A branch office was also established on the north-west corner of Exchange Place and William Street, which was moved to the Merchants’ Exchange upon the completion of that building in 1841. In 1845 the old Middle Dutch Church was converted for use as the main Post Office, and the branch office was moved to Chatham Square. (...).

A key, printed on blue paper, was issued with this plate, but is very rarely found. The key reads as follows: A KEY to the Print of the Great Fire of the City of New York, Published by the proprietor, H. R. Robinson, 48 Courtlandt street, embracing Original Likenesses, taken from life, of all the parties herein named, and who rendered themselves conspicuous through their exertions in quelling the awful conflagration.»

No. 1 - Chester Huntingdon, police officer / No. 2 - John Jacob Schoonmaker, keeper of the Battery / No. 3 - Nathaniel Finch, member of Fire Co. No. 9 / 4 - Matthew Bird, member of Fire Co. No. 13 / N. 5 - James S. Leggett, ass’t foremen, No. 13 / 6 - Zophar Mills, foreman of engine No 13 / 7 - Wm. H. Bogardus, Esq. counsellor at law / 8 - Col. James Watson Webb, editor of Courier & Enq / 9 - A M C. Smith, police officer / 10 - James Gulick, chief engineer / 11 - John Hillyer, Esq. sheriff of City & Co. of N. Y. / 12 - Oliver M Lownds, Esq. police justice / 13 - Charles King,* Esq. editor of the American / 14 - Hon. C. W. Lawrence, mayor of the city / 15 - James M Lownds, Esq. under-sheriff / 16 - James Hopson, Esq. police justice / 17 - Edward Windust, of ‘Shakspeare,’ Park Row / 18 - Thomas Downing of Nos. 3, 5 & 7 Broad street / 19 - Jacob Hays, Esq. high constable / 20 - H W Merritt, police officer / 21 - Peter Mc’Intyre, of Montgomery House, Barclay Street,— formerly of Washington Hall.

«N.B.—The gentleman running up the Exchange steps, is Mr. Patterson, of the firm of Patterson & Gustin, who wished, if possible, to preserve the statue of Alexander Hamilton, which was totally destroyed in a few minutes afterwards.

* This is the gentleman that crossed the East River to the Navy Yard, on that dreadful night, in an open boat, to procure gunpowder; in which he was successful.»