1 E Bay St
Savannah, GA 31401, USA

U.S. Customhouse (Custom House) - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:

Architecturally, the United States Custom House in Savannah is one of the most significant public buildings in the city. Historically, it symbolizes the importance of Savannah as Georgia's port city" during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The site of the custom House is important to the history of Savannah. Firmin Cerveau’s 1837 panoramic view of the city shows a me-story frame house and shop at the comer of Bull and Bay Streets. The house, which was built about 1733, was rented by James Edward Ogletorphe, founder of the Georgia Colony, upon his return visits to Savannah. At the rear of the lot stood the building fran which John Wesley preached his first sermon on American soil on March 7, 1736.

The first custom office in Savannah opened in 1789 in Commerce Row on Bay Street, and was replaced by a custom house in 1819 on East Bryan Street. When the latter burned in 1837, the Custom House was moved to the city Exchange.

In 1845, the federal government had purchased ground at the comer of Bull and Bay Streets for a new custom house. John S. Norris, New York architect, was employed as both designer and supervisor of construction. The July 20, 1848, issue of the Savannah Weekly Georgian, described the laying of the cornerstone with masonic honors for what was called the most imposing edifice upon the most classic spot in Savannah. The same article noted various improvements to the city, including some along the waterfront, such as better lighting of the harbor.

On July 29, 1852, Norris invited the public to view the new Custom House built in the Greek Revival style. Located a short distance from the waterfront, the structure housed numerous government agencies including the Federal Court but its primary functions were connected with operations of the port of Savannah. In 1860, the case of the yacht "Wanderer" was tried before the court as the last violation of the law against the importation of slaves. The following year Cn March 8y 1861, the (Confederate flag flew from the Custom House staff y one day after adoption of the Ordinance of Secession by the Georgia State Convention.

Presently the Custom House is used solely for custom-delated service because other federal offices have moved to newer buildings. Although its function has been reduced to a single agency its importance to Savannah has not diminished. Located in view of Factor's Walk and on a prime corner in the downtown section, it remains both a visual and an historical anchor to the city. Its national importance has been recognized by its designation as an Historic Custom House.