Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
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VLR Listing Date 11/05/1968
NRHP Listing Date 06/11/1969
NHL Listing Date 11/11/1971
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.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: September 20, 2021
