Freemasons' Hall, formerly the Savannah Cotton Exchange, was built in 1876 in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, United States. Its function was to provide

King Cotton "King Cotton" is a slogan that summarized the strategy used before the American Civil War (of 1861–1865) by secessionists in the southern states (the future Confederate States of America) to claim the feasibility of secession and to prove ther ...

factors, brokers serving planters' interest in the market, a place to congregate and set the market value of cotton exported to larger markets such as

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. By the end of the 19th century, factorage was on the decline as more planters were selling their products at interior markets, thus merely shipping them from Savannah via the extensive rail connections between the city and the interior. The cotton exchange went out of business in 1951.

History

General William Washington Gordon II was a chairman of the exchange after serving in the

Battle of Jonesboro The Battle of Jonesborough (August 31–September 1, 1864) was fought between Union Army forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces under William J. Hardee during the Atlanta Campaign in the Am ...

(1864). In the June 10, 1878, edition of the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', the exchange published the following report, sent the previous day, as a summary for May's business:"The Cotton Crop"
- ''New York Times'', June 10, 1878

100 East Bay Street

The exchange moved to 100 East Bay Street location, in 1887,Old Savannah Cotton Exchange
–

Georgia Historical Society The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is a statewide historical society in Georgia, United States. Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, GHS is one of the oldest historical organizations in the United States. Since 1839, the society has collected, ex ...

where the building still stands, with the former warehouses down below on River Street now replaced by a tunnel through to Factors Walk. The city allowed the exchange to build on top of Drayton Street ramp, as long as they left the ramp accessible below, hence its unique design. As the ''

Savannah Morning News The ''Savannah Morning News'' is a daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. It is published by Gannett. The motto of the paper is "Light of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry". The paper serves Savannah, its Savannah metropolitan area, metropolitan ...

'' reported it, the day after its official opening: "The building is built in the center of a slip leading to the river, and is raised thirty-five feet or so from the ground by iron pillars, so as to give free access to River street." The building's architect was

William G. Preston William Gibbons Preston (September 29, 1842 – March 26, 1910) was an American architect who practiced during the last third of the nineteenth century and in the first decade of the twentieth. Educated at Harvard University and the Ecole des ...

, whose design was favored over eleven other architects. It is located in Savannah's Historic District, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

, and the Cotton Exchange building is a contributing property. The building has been home to Solomon's Lodge, No. 1, Free and Accepted Masons, since 1976. It was established by founder of the

Province of Georgia The Province of Georgia (also Georgia Colony) was one of the Southern Colonies in colonial-era British America. In 1775 it was the last of the Thirteen Colonies to support the American Revolution. The original land grant of the Province of G ...

, General

James Oglethorpe Lieutenant-General James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British Army officer, Tory politician and colonial administrator best known for founding the Province of Georgia in British North America. As a social refo ...

, in 1734. On

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

in 2006, a car smashed into the building, causing substantial damage."Savannah Cotton Exchange about to open for public tours"
– ''

'', April 3, 2010 The Savannah Chamber of Commerce has erroneously been mentioned as currently occupying the building, but they are former tenants, having been there in the first part of the 20th century; they are now based across the street at 101 East Bay Street.Savannah Chamber of Commerce
– official website

References

External links

*
Old Savannah Cotton Exchange
—

Historical Marker Database The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org) is an online database that documents locations of numerous historical markers and commemorative plaques in the United States as well as other countries. The database was launched in 2006 by computer progra ...

{{Authority control 1876 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Agricultural organizations based in the United States American companies disestablished in 1951 Commercial buildings completed in 1887 Cotton Exchange Commodity exchanges in the United States Cotton Exchange Cotton industry in the United States Cotton organizations Defunct companies based in Georgia (U.S. state) Masonic buildings in Georgia (U.S. state) Cotton Exchange