U.S. Customhouse
About this property
The U.S. Customhouse is a historic custom house located in San Francisco, California. It was built to house offices of the United States Customs Service. The acquisition of the natural harbor of San Francisco Bay as a result of the US-Mexico War and the subsequent admission of California into the Union, plus the extraordinary boom resulting from the Gold Rush, and also the highly anticipated trade with Asia, together dictated the necessity for a custom house in San Francisco. The first custom house was established in an existing adobe building on Portsmouth Square in 1850. It was moved to a four-story brick structure constructed in June 1850, located at Montgomery and California Streets. Despite being made of brick, this structure succumbed to the Great Fire of 1851. The custom service was then temporarily relocated to the corner of Washington and Kearney Streets. In 1853, work began on a new custom house located on Battery Street between Jackson and Montgomery Streets. It opened in 1854, and remained in service for some six decades before being demolished in November 1905 to make way for the construction of the current structure. In 1905, Eames & Young, a St. Louis architectural firm won a national design competition (juried by architect Thomas Rogers Kimball) for a new custom house. The firm was chosen under the auspices of the Tarsney Act (1890–1912), which allowed the Treasury Department to hire private architects rather than use only government designers. William S. Eames and Thomas C. Young were the firm's principals. They designed the building in the Beaux Arts Classicism style, which was popular as part of the City Beautiful movement that sought to create more appealing urban centers. Ground was broken for the new custom house on January 28, 1906. Three months later, a devastating earthquake and subsequent fire decimated San Francisco. Because much of the city was being rebuilt simultaneously, there were severe labor and material shortages. As a result, construction of the custom house was not completed until 1911. The U.S. Custom House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, seismic and other upgrades were made from 1993 to 1997. While the building continues to serve many of its original purposes, the U.S. Customs Service is now the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. Custom House is an excellent example of the Beaux Arts Classicism style of architecture, which is characterized by classical yet exuberant details. Many important federal buildings were designed in this style during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Some elements of Beaux Arts Classicism that are found on the U.S. Custom House include a symmetrical facade and articulated entrances that are highlighted with granite entablatures and carvings. The main entrance on Battery Street has a grouping of sculptural figures over the cornice.
Location
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was U.S. Customhouse listed on the National Register?
U.S. Customhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 29, 1975.
What type of historic resource is U.S. Customhouse?
U.S. Customhouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for U.S. Customhouse?
The period of significance for U.S. Customhouse is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near U.S. Customhouse?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near U.S. Customhouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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