Custom House

A Custom House or Customs House was a building housing the offices for the government officials who processed the paperwork for the import and export of goods into and out of a country. Customs officials also collected customs duty on imported goods.

The Customs House was typically located in a seaport or in a city on a major river with access to the ocean. These cities acted as a port of entry into a country and the government was interested in locating a customs house in those cities in order to collect taxes and regulate commerce.

Gallery

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  Customs House, Philadelphia
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  en:Customs House, Sydney
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  Custom House, Dublin
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  en:Customs House, Shanghai
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  en:Custom House Tower
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  Trolleybus in Valparaíso with the Custom House in the background.