Originally laid out in 1724,[1] today it features a number of designer clothing stores, as well as several small, locally owned businesses,[2] including Sherman's Maine Coast Books.

[4] Completed in 1839, to designs by Boston architect Richard Bond, it was an attempt by local businessmen to return the state government to Portland from Augusta.

[8] Before the 1970s, Exchange Street and the Old Port area had become largely run-down and deserted.

Historically, Exchange Street was where many printers (such as The Anthoensen Press) and newspapers were located.

At the top of Exchange Street, strategically located across Congress Street from Portland City Hall, is the Press Herald Building built in 1923 and expanded in 1948 as the headquarters of the Portland Press Herald.