The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-08
ABOUT THE EXCHANGE BUILDING,
Some Interesting Facts Told by an Aged Man Who Formerly Resided Here.


 Some Interesting Facts Told by an Aged
 Man Who Formerly Resided Here.
 The following letter from Charles s. A. Davis an octogenarian, formerly of this city, but now residing in Plainville, N. J., will be of interest to many. It is written to Eli Rogers, Esq, of 6 Elm street this city and is as follows;
 Plainville, N. J. Dec, 12, 1894.
 Eli Rogers, Esq, Dear Sir
 I wrote an answer to your former letter and sent it to Branford, but trust that you have received it before this time. In reply to your note, will say that the site of the present Exchange building was occupied by Eli Beecher as grocery store, who occupied it un- til his death, then it was occupied by his grand nephew. Eli Beecher Austin, until about the year 1920. There was on the premises on Chapel street a large building used as a storehouse for heavy goods, such as molasses salt, etc. That was sold to William Samson, who moved it to Franklin street, near SlldptlB duNl IlduG u llllO ltllGluGllL house for colored families. Then the Eli Beecher estate was divided and the land on Chapel street on which the old storehouse stood, was left to Eli Beech CT Austin, who built the present brick building known as the Austin building and occupied it until his death. The balance of the land was sold by the tn ia, and in the spring of 1925 they commenced to build the banking house. but by the time they had got the cellar built the bank had failed and work stopped, and it remained in that condition until 1881, when it was bought by Jehiel Forbes, and his son William J. Forbes drew the plan for the present building. The building was not completed until the spring of 1883. The first store on Chap el street was occupied by the City bank. The next store by Parker & Ingham, hats, the next by M. A. F. Harrison, fancy groceries, the next by the Good Samariton, drug store by William G. Peters, the corner building by Grind ley Harrison, dry goods, afterwards by Smith x Graves the first store on Church street by George Gabriel, um- brellas, the next by Oliver Bryan & Son. merchant tailors. The office at the head of the stairs from the entrance on Chapel street on the right hand side was occupied by Silas Mix, law office, the room in the rear by Jonathan Stod- dard, law office, the office on the left hand side was occupied by Charles h. gersoll, law office, the office at the head of the stairs from the entrance on Church street. on the right hand side was occupied by Roger s. Baldwin, law office, on the left hand side by Dennis Kimberly, together with the room ad- joining as law office, the room over the store of Oliver Bryan & Son was occupied by the Atheneum Reading room, but it was soon given up and occupied by Shelton & Flag as a law office; the rear room opposite General Kimberly's office was coupled by Stiles Smith as a sleeping room. On the third story there was a large hall used as ball room and sometimes for theatrical performances, and there was a room in that story used by Allen A. Smith as sleeping room. MT. Smith at that time kept a drug store in the Glebe building, corner of Chapel and Church streets. This is all of the building that was oc- cupied at that time. Yours truly,
 CHARLES. $. A. DAVIS