The Historic Exchange Hotel located at the corner of State and Jennings in Downtown Newburgh has new owners and is currently under major renovation.  

Husband and wife Jeremy and Beth Martin, current owners of the Barefoot Cottage in downtown Newburgh, have purchased the historic building and its mammoth undertakings.

The state of 1 West Jennings has a major impact on all the surrounding properties downtown. Jeremy and I have committed to doing everything we can to preserve the experience of Newburgh,” according to Martin.

The building which dates back to pre-civil war was built in 1841 and originally had a basement and first floor only.  The couple says they weren’t planning on purchasing the Historic Exchange Hotel, but when the previous owner approached them with her intent to sell, they felt it was well worth looking into.

The building is in dire need of a long list of major projects, but having just finished the historic building across the street (Barefoot Cottage) with some similar issues, they felt up for the challenge. So far, the Martins have hauled away over 100 thousand pounds of debris and are addressing many interior issues including all electrical and HVAC which are being updated and brought up to code.  Masonry work is another need, and many other projects are currently ongoing.

New plans for the building include:

  • two multi use spaces on the first level (which are yet to be determined)
  • multiple luxury living units on the upper level.

We would love to see a new business, retail or eatery, go into this iconic building.  It’s an excellent location with a great deal of potential.

The Historic Exchange Hotel was formerly a hospital during the Civil War.  It was also operated as Chivian’s Department store, a furniture store, and when I moved here in the early ’90’s, I remember it as an Antiques Store.

Source:  Newburgh Museum website and Barefoot Cottage.

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