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Inspectors, Markers, Superintendent of
Building, etc. In the centre is a large vestibule, from which two broad flights of steps lead to the principal story, landing in two smaller vestibules therein, lighted by skylights in the roof, and these vestibules communicate with all the apartments in this story. The several rooms are for the Collector, Assistant Collector, Naval Officer, Surveyor, Public Store Keeper, their Deputies and Clerks; and for the facilities of doing business this arrangement is not surpassed. The grand-cross shaped Rotunda, for the general business of the Collector's department, in the centre of this story, is finished in the Grecian
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west portico is the entrance to the heating apparatus room, and on the south end is the entrance to the Custom House
Truckmen's room. This story consists of rooms for the Night Inspectors, Custom House Truckmen, and Engineer of the Heating Apparatus, also three sets of Water Closets: the remainder is used for storage of goods, weigher's tabs, etc.
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The cellar, which is 10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m) high to the crown of the arches, is principally used for the storage of goods, which are conveyed to it through the basement story. The steam apparatus for warming the whole building (which it does effectively) is situated in the cellar,
292:
The principal ingress to the entrance story is through the porticos, but it can be entered from the
Collector's private staircase, and from two other private staircases in the basement. This story contains apartments and offices for the Assistant Treasurer, the Weighers and Gaugers, the Measurers,
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Boston, December 2, 1773. Whereas it has been reported that a permit will be given by the Custom-House for landing the tea now on board a vessel laying in this harbour, commanded by Capt. Hall. ... it was solemnly voted by the body of the people of this and the neighbouring towns assembled at the
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The principal entrances to the basement story are at each end. They are for the receipt of goods for storage. Near the northwest corner, on the west side, is the entrance to the Night
Inspectors' apartments, also to the private staircase leading to the Collector's room and the attic. South of the
663:
A Short narrative of the horrid massacre in Boston, perpetrated in the evening of the fifth day of March, 1770. By soldiers of the XXIXth
Regiment; which with the XIVth Regiment were then quartered there: with some observations on the state of things prior to that catastrophe. Boston: Edes &
852:
A State of importations from Great-Britain into the port of Boston. From the beginning of
January 1770. To which is added an account of all the goods that have been re-shipt from the above port for Great-Britain, since January 1769. The whole taken from the Custom-House of the Port of Boston.
236:
Situated at the head of the dock between Long and
Central Wharves, fronts east on the dock, west on India Street, and is in the form of a Greek Cross, the opposite sides and ends being alike. It is 140 feet (43 m) long north and south, 75 feet (23 m) wide at the ends, and 95 feet
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259:; the order of engaged columns terminating with 4 andae at their intersection with the porticos. The columns are 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) in diameter and 32 feet (9.8 m) high, the shaft being in one place, each weighing about 42 tons.
250:
The exterior of the building is purely
Grecian Doric, not a copy, but adapted to the exigencies and peculiarities of the structure, and consists of a portico of 6 columns on each side, on a high flight of steps, and an order of engaged
198:) and cost about $ 5,200. Only half these actually support the structure; the others are free-standing. They are 5 feet (1.5 m) and 4 inches (162 cm) in diameter and 32 feet (9.7 m) high. Inside, the
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In one of the panels of the
Rotunda is inserted a tablet of marble (Dedication Tablet 1847), containing the following inscription: Boston Custom House Building. Authorized by the 23d Congress, A.D. 1835.
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120:. Paul Revere's illustration of the massacre depicts the customhouse (along the right-most edge of the picture). After the revolution, the custom house remained on State Street. Employees included
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Daniel
Bluestone. Civic and Aesthetic Reserve: Ammi Burnham Young's 1850s Federal Customhouse Designs. Winterthur Portfolio, Vol. 25, No. 2/3 (Summer – Autumn, 1990), pp. 131–156.
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Richmond St. and Ann St.; built 1674, demolished 1847. "It was built in 1674, for a Custom House, and used some time for that purpose. Originally, it stood on the water's edge."
514:. The building remained unoccupied and inaccessible for 14 years. It was converted into an 84-room time share resort by Marriott Vacation Club International starting in 1997.
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Morison. Custom-House Records in Massachusetts, as a Source of History. Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Third Series, Vol. 54, 1921, p. 324+
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237:(29 m) through the centre. It is built on about 3,000 piles, fully secured against decay; the construction throughout is fireproof and of the very best kind.
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almost touched the eastern face of the building. The Custom House was built at the end of the City docks, to facilitate inspection and registration of cargo. The
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Old-South Meeting House on Tuesday the 30th day of November, that the said tea never should be landed in this province, or pay one farthing of duty ...
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added a 496 ft (151 m) tower to the base. It was the tallest building in both Boston and New England for almost half a century, until the
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in Boston during the colonial period. In the late 17th century, the custom house was located at the waterfront, on the corner of Richmond St. and
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CHAPTER III. SOME FAMOUS STRUCTURES OF QUINCY GRANITE.-PIONEERS IN THE WORK AND THE EXTENT OF THEIR BUSINESS.-BUILDING MINOT'S LEDGE LIGHTHOUSE
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510:, the Custom House on State Street was declared "surplus property". On April 16, 1987, the city of Boston purchased the building from the
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147:. When it was completed in 1849, it cost about $ 1.076 million, in contemporary U.S. currency, including the site, foundations, etc.
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in several successive locations through the years. In 1849 the U.S. federal government constructed a neoclassical building on
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In 1810 it moved into a new building on Custom House Street (between Broad St. and India St.). In the 1830s American author
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A new site on State Street was purchased by the federal government on September 13, 1837. Construction of a
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By 1905, increased shipping required the building's expansion. In 1913–1915, the architecture firm
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Detail of Paul Revere's engraving of the Boston Massacre, 1770; Custom House visible at right
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design. This building was a cruciform (cross-shaped) Greek Revival structure, combining a
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Overview of Boston's Financial District and harbor, showing the Custom House, next to
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Overview of Boston's Financial District, showing the Custom House, India St., 1899
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This description of the original Custom House appears in the 1850 Boston Almanac:
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Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
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having easy access to the coal vaults under the sidewalk outside of the building.
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used the building to collect maritime duties in the age of Boston clipper ships.
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entered an 1837 competition to design the Boston Custom House, and won with his
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Bacon. The book of Boston: fifty years' recollections of the New England. 1916
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The entire structure sits on filled land and is supported by 3,000 wooden
323:, Collector of the Port; Samuel S. Lewis, Robert G. Shaw, Commissioners;
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217:. Before land reclamation was done in the mid-19th century, Boston's
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Custom House Street (between Broad St. and India St.); ca.1823–1841
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Newspaper item about comings and goings from Boston, June 1732 (
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Since 2003, customs functions lie under the dominion of the
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Boston Custom House Tower, The City's First Real Skyscraper
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Custom houses on the National Register of Historic Places
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McKinley Square, India Square and State Street, 1849–1986
28:, was established in the 17th century and stood near the
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Custom House, India St., Boston, ca.1851; engraving by
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around the walls, 20 in number, on a high stylobate or
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Custom-House, Custom House Street, Boston (built 1810)
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Cross-section of the 1837 design of the Custom House.
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1674 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
700:Snow. History of Boston. Boston: Abel Bowen, 1825.
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767:National cyclopaedia of American biography. 1901.
221:extended right to this building. Ships moored at
76:Custom houses have existed at several locations:
98:The Royal Commissioners of Customs administered
795:. Celebrateboston.com. Retrieved on 2013-11-07.
521:, housed in Boston's O'Neill Federal Building.
988:National Register of Historic Places in Boston
839:. Bostonhistory.org. Retrieved on 2013-11-07.
739:"The Paul Revere died of the Boston Massacre"
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466:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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178:topped with a dome. It had 36 fluted Doric
40:was added in 1915; the building joined the
486:Learn how and when to remove this message
390:Learn how and when to remove this message
884:Article on the old Boston Customs House.
998:Landmarks in Financial District, Boston
891:. Articles about Boston's customs house
837:Education – Historic Markers – Downtown
814:. iBoston.org. Retrieved on 2013-11-07.
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958:Government buildings completed in 1849
953:Government buildings completed in 1810
948:Government buildings completed in 1674
504:Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building
406:Custom House Tower, early 20th century
498:In 1986 when custom officials of the
245:Custom House, Boston, India St., 1850
182:, each carved from a single piece of
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778:Hawthorne in the Boston Custom House
538:Custom House, Custom House St., 1835
464:adding citations to reliable sources
368:adding citations to reliable sources
42:National Register of Historic Places
902:US Custom House Study Report], 1986
968:Custom houses in the United States
519:U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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823:Arthur Wellington Brayley (1913)
190:, Massachusetts; each weighed 42
143:was authorized by U.S. President
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135:Construction of current building
512:General Services Administration
1003:Government buildings in Boston
737:Louise Phelps Kellogg (1918).
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743:Wisconsin Magazine of History
500:United States Customs Service
44:in 1973 and was designated a
676:Boston Directory. 1823, 1832
776:George Edwin Jepson (1904)
567:State Street Block (Boston)
112:in 1770, it was located on
50:Boston Landmarks Commission
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860:New Custom-House, Boston.
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281:Custom House, 19th century
83:State Street, ca.1770–1805
174:, resembled a four-faced
973:Ammi B. Young buildings
963:Rotundas (architecture)
319:Sec'y of the Treasury;
213:driven through fill to
709:Boston Directory. 1849
654:Boston Directory. 1805
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424:surpassed it in 1964.
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896:Landmarks Commission
688:Boston Almanac. 1841
642:Boston Almanac. 1847
460:improve this section
364:improve this section
315:, President U.S.A.;
307:, President U.S.A.;
924:42.3591°N 71.0535°W
920: /
889:Google news archive
418:Peabody and Stearns
129:Nathaniel Hawthorne
108:At the time of the
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601:Custom House Tower
412:Custom House Tower
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325:Ammi Burnham Young
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227:federal government
202:was capped with a
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327:, Architect.
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575:India Wharf
476:August 2019
380:August 2019
196:metric tons
114:King Street
942:Categories
915:71°03′13″W
912:42°21′33″N
664:Gill, 1770
613:References
571:Long Wharf
569:, between
223:Long Wharf
219:waterfront
30:waterfront
447:does not
351:does not
52:in 1986.
864:, 1841.
595:See also
508:West End
257:basement
204:skylight
755:4630108
506:in the
468:removed
453:sources
372:removed
357:sources
253:columns
215:bedrock
200:rotunda
184:granite
180:columns
167:with a
165:portico
104:Ann St.
100:customs
56:History
48:by the
753:
577:, 1870
206:dome.
188:Quincy
22:Boston
853:1770.
751:JSTOR
211:piles
186:from
169:Roman
162:Doric
159:Greek
38:tower
573:and
451:any
449:cite
355:any
353:cite
194:(37
192:tons
172:dome
16:The
462:by
366:by
20:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
