Boston Custom House facts for kids

Boston Custom House, circa 1904 or earlier

The Custom House in Boston, Massachusetts, is a famous building that has been important for trade and government for a very long time. It started in the 1600s near the waterfront. The building you see today on State Street was built in 1849. It's known for its tall tower that was added in 1915. This building is so special that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Boston Landmark.

History of the Custom House

Early Days: 1698–1786

A small part of Paul Revere's drawing of the Boston Massacre from 1770. You can see the Custom House on the right.

During the time when America was still a colony of Britain, the Custom House in Boston collected taxes on goods coming into the city. In the late 1600s, it was located right by the water.

In 1770, during the famous Boston Massacre, the Custom House was on King Street, very close to the Old State House. A soldier named Hugh White was on guard duty there. If you look closely at Paul Revere's famous drawing of the massacre, you can spot the Custom House on the right side.

After the Revolution: 1786–1849

The Custom House on Custom House Street, built in 1810.

After the American Revolution, the Custom House stayed on State Street. Later, in 1810, it moved to a new building on Custom House Street. A famous American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, even worked there in the 1830s!

The Grand New Building: 1849–1913

In 1837, the U.S. government bought a new spot on State Street to build an even bigger Custom House. President Andrew Jackson approved the construction. When it was finished in 1849, it cost about $1.076 million, which was a huge amount of money back then!

Ammi Burnham Young designed this new building. He created a neoclassical style, which means it looked like ancient Greek and Roman buildings. It was shaped like a cross and had a Roman dome on top.

The building featured 36 large Doric columns. Each column was carved from a single piece of granite from Quincy, Massachusetts. They weighed about 42 tons each and stood 32 feet (9.7 meters) tall. Inside, the main hall, called the rotunda, had a beautiful skylight dome.

The Custom House in Boston, India Street, around 1850.

The entire Custom House was built on land that was once water. It sits on 3,000 wooden piles driven deep into the ground for support. Before more land was created in Boston, ships at Long Wharf could almost touch the building! The government used this building to collect taxes on goods brought in by Boston's famous clipper ships.

An old description from 1850 said the building was 140 feet (43 meters) long and 95 feet (29 meters) wide in the center. It was built to be fireproof and very strong. The main hall, the Rotunda, was a grand space for business. It was 63 feet (19 meters) long and 62 feet (19 meters) high to the skylight. A special marble tablet inside mentioned that President Andrew Jackson approved the building in 1835, and it opened in 1847 when James K. Polk was President.

A cross-section drawing of the 1837 design for the Custom House.

The Custom House in the 1800s.

Adding the Tower: 1915–1986

The Custom House Tower in the early 1900s.

By 1905, Boston's shipping business had grown so much that the Custom House needed more space. So, from 1913 to 1915, architects from Peabody and Stearns added a huge tower to the building. This tower was 496 feet (151 meters) tall! For almost 50 years, it was the tallest building in both Boston and all of New England, until the Prudential Tower was built in 1964.

Modern Times: 1986–Present

In 1986, the customs officials moved to a new building. The Custom House on State Street was then empty for 14 years. But starting in 1997, it was turned into a beautiful resort with 84 rooms by Marriott Vacation Club.

Today, customs work in Boston is handled by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in a different federal building.

Where the Custom House Was Located

The Custom House has been in several spots over the years:

• Richmond Street and Ann Street: Built in 1674, torn down in 1847. It was originally right by the water.
• State Street: Around 1770 to 1805.
• Custom House Street (between Broad Street and India Street): Around 1823 to 1841.
• McKinley Square, India Square, and State Street: From 1849 to 1986. This is the famous building we know today.

Images for kids

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  Custom House, Custom House Street, 1835.

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  Custom House, India Street, Boston, around 1851.

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  A map showing Boston's Financial District and harbor in 1870, with the Custom House visible.

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  A map of Boston's Financial District in 1899, showing the Custom House on India Street.