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. Customs is an Authority or agency in a Country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods
The Customs House was typically located in a seaport or in a city on a major river with access to the ocean. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo 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. A port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country
Due to advances in electronic information systems, the increased volume of international trade and the introduction of air travel, the Customs House is now often a historical oddity. There are many examples of buildings around the world whose former use was as a Custom House but have since been converted for other use.
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Customs House, Philadelphia |
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Custom House Tower, Boston |
Custom House, Portland |
Custom House, Queen Square, Bristol |
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Customs House, Montreal |