The Builders’ Exchange of Santa Clara County is a nonprofit association of subcontractors, general contractors,architects, engineers, material supplier’s, manufacturers’ representatives and others closely related to the construction industry. The governing board of the exchange is an elected cross-section of construction business professionals.
The exchange’s goal is to provide a central location to review current construction blueprints and to collect timely construction information.
FOUNDING OFFICERS
The Builders’ Exchange was established in the Santa Clara Valley in 1893 and is the second oldest exchange in California. The Founding officers included the following members:
- Andrew J. McIlvain– President. A contractor/builder who lived on Minor Avenue.
- Wm. S. Boules– Vice President, Lived on N. 10th Street.
- Rhinehart L. Stock- Treasurer, Owned the company Ingalls and Stock, on S. 2nd Street
- Josiah G. Cherrie- Financial Secretary. M.J.& J.; Shelf and Builders Hardware, Tools and Cutlery, on S. 1st Street
Some of the early advertisers in the first Builders’ Exchange book were as follows:
- W.J. Wolcott. Mr. Wolcott constructed City Hall and the Post Office.
- Balata Paint Works. Owners George B. McKee and A. DeRochenbrune Jr. manufactured paint and were located at 2nd Street and San Fernando (70-84 E. San Fernando). They made house paint, carriage paint and also sold oil, glass, brushes and paper hangings.
- Pacific Manufacturing Co. The mill produced doors, frames and hardware, blinds, molding and trims with lumber from the Santa Cruz mountains. Its officers were George P. Thurston, President, James H. Pierce, Vice President and R.T. Pierce as Secretary.
- Glenwood Lumber Co. was located at 34 N. 3rd Street with it’s lumber coming from Rockport, Mendocino County. It also operated a hotel, store and mill as well as the Post Office in Rockport. It had its own steamer line to the port of Alviso. Morgan Hill had a branch of the company and the city was largely built by Glenwood Lumber Company products.
- Dreischmeyer’s Brick Manufactory. Located at 13th and Williams Street.
- Remillard Brick Co. One of the largest brick producers in the western states, with branches in Pleasanton and San Rafael. It was located on the banks of Coyote Creek by Keyes Street. In several areas of the Santa Clara Valley there were natural deposits of clay and sand mix in just the right proportions to make bricks, making it easy to mine the clay into bricks.
- Greens Lumber Yard. Mr. Green came to San Jose in 1890 and for nearly 20 years was engaged to contracting and building. He built the Beach Building on Santa Clara and 2nd Street and the Lux residence in East San Jose.
- George B. Bollinger. A real estate owner with a 1000 acre farm a few miles east of Milpitas.
- Frank V. Wright. He was Secretary of the San Jose Building and Loan Association, the assistant Cashier of the Union Savings Bank and past President of the California State League of Mutual Building and Loan Associations.
- Charles Wehner. A contractor of street improvements and sewer works, he constructed the outlet for the main sewer in the city near Alviso.
The Exchange’s first location in 1894, at 30E. Santa Clara Street Rm. 1, was simply a second story room in a commercial building next to a bank, looking out onto Santa Clara Street. Later, moving to 36 S. Second Street, San Jose, which is the parking lot north of Zanotto’s Grocery Store today. Its third location was at 460 Park Ave, San Jose. The present Builders’ Exchange is at 400 Reed Street in Santa Clara.