U. S. Custom House, Greek Revival custom house in Charleston, United States.
The U.S. Custom House is a federal building with marble walls, fourteen Corinthian columns, and rectangular windows framed with pediments along East Bay Street. Its cross-shaped form was designed to serve both practical and ceremonial purposes effectively.
Construction of this building started in 1853 but paused due to the Civil War and resumed in 1870. Its completion in 1879 marked the return of federal authority to Charleston after the conflict.
The building's central hall spans two floors and displays decorative stencil work that reflects how important federal offices appeared during the 1800s. These details show how the government wanted to project authority and permanence in this port city.
The building remains in active use as a federal facility located directly at the port, making it easy to reach. As a working government office, visitors can view the exterior and publicly accessible areas while respecting ongoing operations.
The foundation of this massive structure rests on about seven thousand wooden piles driven into marshy ground. This hidden engineering effort shows how much work was needed to create such a permanent building on unstable terrain.
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