United States Custom House
New Orleans
The United States Custom House is the old customs building of New Orleans, at the edge of the old Quarter. It is one of the most important federal buildings of the 1800s in the southern United States.
A growing port
In the mid-1800s, more and more goods traveled along the river. The government decided to build a palace to count them and tax them. It also had to house other federal offices, such as the courts.
A very long building site
The design chosen in 1847 came from a single architect. Work began in 1848, but he was replaced as early as 1850. After him, many architects took turns, and each one changed something. The first offices moved in during 1856, when the building was still unfinished.
Granite and columns
The building is clad in slabs of gray granite. Each front has great round columns in the middle. Inside there is a large hall with a glass ceiling. It is one of the finest neoclassical halls in the country. Around the hall worked the customs clerks, who checked the papers of arriving ships.
A landmark for everyone
Since 1974 it has been a National Historic Landmark. Take your time looking at it: every front has something to discover. Its almost identical fronts can be seen well from all four streets around it.
