Stockyards Exchange, Historic building in South St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
The Stockyards Exchange is a large brick and stone building with turrets at each corner, built in 1887. Its five stories feature evenly spaced windows, detailed stonework, and tall doorways designed for horses and carts, while the interior retains wood flooring, trim, and ornate metal-panel ceilings from its original design.
Built in 1887 by the Union Stockyards Company, the building emerged as a hub for the booming livestock trade tied to nearby stockyards established the year before. The site witnessed the rise of major meatpacking plants in the following decades and later their decline, with major closures beginning in the 1960s.
The building served as more than a trading place for the livestock business. It housed the town's first bank, post office, and city council meetings, making it a true center of community life where everyday decisions shaped the growing city.
The building is available for rental for private events and celebrations, now operating as the Historic Concord Exchange. Its location near downtown South St. Paul makes it easy to find, and visitors can see the well-preserved original architecture both outside and inside.
The building was designed by Charles A. Reed in Richardsonian Romanesque style, an architect also known for railroad stations across the country who blended industrial purpose with architectural craft. This combination of function and skilled design makes it a rare example of quality commercial architecture from that era.
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