Description and history
The Produce Exchange Building was located on the north side of downtown Springfield, across Lyman Street from the main railroad line and at the corner of Chestnut Street. It was an L-shaped four-story masonry structure, finished in brick with terra cotta trim. It had sixteen-bay facades facing both streets, and a two-bay corner facade housing the main building entrance on the ground floor. The Chestnut Street facade had five retail storefronts, each with recessed entrances and display windows, separated by pilasters and topped by a frieze band and cornice. The Lyman Street facade had mostly bricked over retail bays, separated by pilasters. The upper floor had a combination of sash windows and three-part picture windows, and had a decorated frieze below a simple cornice at the top.[2]
The block was built in 1899 by Andrew Whitney, and began to serve as the city's wholesale produce exchange marketplace in 1908, a role it served for many years. In 1926 the building was extensively remodeled, including an updated facade, which had survived largely intact. The building was one of the largest commercial buildings of the period in the city.[2]
The building was demolished in April 2026.
