U.S. Custom House 1-3 East Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31402 Architect: Norris, John S. Constructed: 1852 Nat'l Register ID #: 74000666 GSA Building #: GA0076ZZ

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Statement of Significance

The United States Custom House in Savannah was built in 1852 and is Georgia's oldest Federal building. The site of the building was important from the beginning of Savannah history. A one-story frame house, built in 1733, was located on the site and was rented by James Oglethorpe, founder of the colony, on his return visits to Savannah. At the rear of the lot facing Bull Street, stood the Tabernacle and Court House. This building was described as "being one handsome room with a piache on three sides" and served as the colony's first house of worship. It was on this site that John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, preached his first sermon on American soil.

In July of 1789 the first Congress of the United States passed the Tariff Act of 1789. Four weeks later it enacted the statute which established the collection of duties set forth in this tariff. Thus the U.S. Custom Service was born. The original Custom House in Savannah was located on Commerce Row on Bay Street. Later Custom Houses were located at East Bryan Street and at the City Exchange.

In 1845 the Federal government purchased the site at the corner of Bull and Bay Streets for a new Custom House. John S. Norris, a New York architect, was employed as both designer and supervisor of construction. The cornerstone was laid with full Masonic honors on July 20, 1848.

All of the granite in the building was brought from New England (primarily Quincy, Massachusetts) by rail and by ship. The monolithic granite columns on the main (east) elevation are estimated to weigh between fifteen and twenty tons each, and were freighted from Massachusetts lashed to the decks of ships. It took thirty days to transport each column up the thirty-eight foot bluff from the river to the building site. Each column was lifted off the ship with a block and tackle system and inched up the bluff on rollers. Once on the site it took another thirty days to raise each column into place.

By July 29, 1852, construction was complete and the architect, John Norris, invited the public to view the new Custom House. The city's Post Office occupied the basement, the Custom Service offices were on the first (main) floor, and the Federal Court occupied the second floor. The famous case of the yacht "Wanderer" was tried in this court in 1860. The case was tried as the last violation of the law against the importation of slaves.

In 1972, the Bureau of Customs designated the Custom House as one of the eight historic Custom Houses in the nation. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1988 the building was designated as one of thirteen Bicentennial Custom Houses in celebration of the Bicentennial of the United States Custom Service.

The significance of this building lies in the history of its site, construction technology, role in the U.S. Customs Service and continued contribution to the city of Savannah as a symbol of the Federal presence in Georgia's port city.


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