Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, Beaux-Arts custom house at Bowling Green, Manhattan, United States
The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is a stone building with nautical decorations, statues representing the four continents, and Corinthian columns at the southern end of Broadway in Manhattan. Its seven stories display classical Beaux-Arts design with generous facade details and a striking interior rotunda.
The building was designed between 1902 and 1907 by architect Cass Gilbert and replaced an earlier custom house on Wall Street following a competitive selection process. It initially served as the administrative center for federal customs operations before later accommodating other government functions.
The building houses the Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian, where visitors can explore extensive collections of Native American objects displayed across ornately decorated rooms.
The building is located at Bowling Green at the southern tip of Manhattan and is easily accessible by subway, with multiple stations nearby. Visitors should know that museum collections are housed in upper floors and the interior features multiple staircases and levels.
The central rotunda features murals by Reginald Marsh from 1938 depicting maritime scenes created during a Works Progress Administration project. These artistic works show harbor workers and seafaring life of the era and remain preserved as part of historical artist patronage.
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