Finney Building

The Finney Building on Washington Ave in downtown St. Louis is one of the oldest remaining commercial buildings downtown, having been built in 1876. Originally the building was home to Pratt, Simmons, and Krausnick, who were jobbers in the area in the late 19th century. However, in 1899, this building was joined with the neighboring Bradford-Martin Building when both structures were bought by Crawford’s Department Store, and the merging of the two buildings was done by Weber and Groves. From 1904-1913, the combined building was the headquarters for the May Company, which later moved to the Railway Exchange Building on Olive Street after merging with the Barr Dry Goods Company in 1912. The Finney Building is one of the last cast iron storefronts to remain downtown and still features its elaborate details in the design of the front facade. Today, the Finney Building is the third oldest surviving structure on Washington Ave, with only the neighboring Bradford-Martin Building and the Ellis Wainwright House in Midtown being older.