History and architecture
George B. Post designed the New York Stock Exchange's Broad Street building, which opened in 1903. Its monumental columns frame a large wall of glass built to admit daylight to the trading floor. The classical front therefore served a practical purpose as well as giving the institution a formal public face.
Above the six Corinthian columns, a sculptural group designed by John Quincy Adams Ward represents Integrity Protecting the Works of Man. Compare this highly decorated front with Federal Hall's simpler Doric columns at the head of Broad Street: two different uses of classical architecture within the same short view.
What to look for
- Leaf-shaped capitals at the tops of the six Broad Street columns.
- The large glazed wall behind the colonnade.
- The figures arranged inside the triangular pediment.
Sources and further reading
Reviewed September 5, 2026.