United States Custom House (New Orleans)
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United States Customhouse (New Orleans)
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View of the Custom House on Canal Street, 1892
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| Location | 423 Canal St., New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Coordinates | 29°57′6.38″N 90°3′58.43″W / 29.9517722°N 90.0662306°WCoordinates: 29°57′6.38″N 90°3′58.43″W / 29.9517722°N 90.0662306°W |
| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architect | Wood, Alexander Thompson; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Egyptian Revival, Greek Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 74000938 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 17, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | December 2, 1974 |
The U.S. Custom House, also known as the Old Post Office and Custom House, is a historic government building at 423 Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was designated a National Historic Landmark, receiving this designation in 1974 and noted for its Egyptian Revival columns. Construction on the building, designed to house multiple federal offices and store goods, began in 1848 and didn't finish until 1881 due to redesigns and the American Civil War. The U.S. Customs offices have been located there since the late 19th century.
In 2008, it became home to the Audubon Insectarium, the largest free-standing American museum dedicated to insects.
The U.S. Custom House in New Orleans is one of the oldest and most important federal buildings in the Southern United States and one of the major works of architecture commissioned by the federal government in the 19th century. This monumental granite building was begun in 1848 and built over a period of 33 years. The grand Marble Hall in the center of the building is one of the finest Greek Revival interiors in the United States.
Located a few blocks from the Mississippi River, the great waterway that enabled New Orleans to become an important port city, the U.S. Custom House was planned in the 1840s in response to increasing trade through the Mississippi Valley. The building was also designed to accommodate other Federal offices, most notably the main post office and federal courts.
In 1847, the Treasury Department chose the design of Alexander Thompson Wood, and construction began in 1848. After Wood was replaced as architect in 1850, a succession of eight architects followed, each modifying the original design concept.
The partially completed building was first occupied in 1856 when the U.S. Customs Service moved into the first floor. The post office followed in November 1860, and the building served as the city's main post office through the remainder of the 19th century. Although construction was suspended during the Civil War, the building was occupied briefly by Confederate forces and then by the Union Army after New Orleans was occupied in 1862. It was also used to house captured Confederate soldiers, reportedly up to 2,000 men at one time.
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