For the first time in nearly 150 years, on December 9 a group of invited guests from Savannah and other areas throughout the Southeastern U.S. were able to see the inside of the historic Savannah Cotton Exchange. Built in 1886 by acclaimed architect William Gibbons Preston, the Savannah Cotton Exchange was for years the epicenter of the global cotton market, which was a non-tech version of present-day commodities markets. The 9,300 square-foot iconic building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located in Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District at 100 East Bay Street, is set for an exciting new chapter.

Dicky Mopper, longtime Savannah resident and president, Engel & Völkers Savannah, said that the Savannah Cotton Exchange’s new chapter lends itself to a number of new opportunities. “This one-of-a-kind building with an exquisite terra cotta façade has been wonderfully preserved. You step back in time when you enter the building, from the reliefs that draw from the Romantic style telling the story of Savannah’s cotton trade to the hand-carved artwork, stained glass window, and enormous pillars. Built for functionality in the 19^th century, its solid construction and stunning beauty make this building a perfect site for a multitude of uses, such as a special event space, a world-class restaurant, or a private residence, to name a few.” The Savannah Cotton Exchange building’s highlights include spectacular views of the Savannah River and Bay Street, four stories of architectural grandeur, original windows, a closed street-level utility area, and more. 

According to Engel & Völkers Savannah’s research, grandeur aside, the Savannah Cotton Exchange was “designed for function, and the only building of its time constructed over a public street, preserving the thoroughfare. Cotton farmers from throughout Georgia and the South transported their cotton by horse and wagon down Drayton Street, then under the Exchange to ships docked on the river from transport to numerous destinations. The sturdy piers and solid construction have stood the test of time as people walk beneath the building every day. From 1886 through the first part of the 20^th century, the Cotton Exchange was the center of the nation’s cotton trade.

Over time, Savannah’s massive cotton trade lost its prominence to the nation’s industrialization and shipment by rail, in addition to increased global competition. The Savannah Cotton Exchange’s doors closed by 1920, and the building stood empty until the 1950s when the Savannah Chamber of Commerce took possession. The Chamber made some mid-century modifications that were non-destructive and can be easily removed for the building’s new chapter. In 1972, the Freemasons’ Solomon’s Lodge #1, the oldest continuously operating, English-constitutional Lodge in the Western Hemisphere—and established by General James Edward Oglethrope in 1734 after he founded Savannah in 1733-- then took possession of the building.  

For more information about the historic Savannah Cotton Exchange building now available for purchase, please contact Dicky Mopper at [email protected] or  912.663.5500.