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Old Customshouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Old Customshouse in front of the new Courthouse
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Location	516 N. King St., Wilmington, Delaware
Coordinates	39°44′29″N 75°32′57″W / 39.741318°N 75.549180°W / 39.741318; -75.549180
Area	0.43 acres
Built	1855
Architect	Ammi B. Young
Architectural style	Greek Revival
NRHP reference No.	74000604
Added to NRHP	1974-11-21

The Old Customshouse is a historic government building at 516 North King Street in Wilmington, Delaware. It was built in 1855 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

History

Originally, Delaware's custom house existed in New Castle, but it was moved to a small rented building on Water Street in Wilmington around 1800. In 1837, the First Board of Trade came into existence to promote trade through the port of Wilmington. As one of their first actions, the organization sent a petition to Congress asking for a permanent custom house.

Representative George R. Riddle secured appropriations for what was intended to be a dedicated customs house in 1852 which was completed in 1855. Despite the intent for a single-use facility, the Federal Court and the Post Office also shared the building until 1897.

During the Korean and Vietnam war periods, the Old Customshouse served as the Delaware initial reporting and induction site for drafted soldiers. The Wilmington Parking Authority built the Customs House Garage, a 1,335 car facility adjacent to the building.

Wilmington University purchased the building from the federal government in 1983 and used it for both business meetings and downtown classes. In 2008, Wilmington University sold the building to a group of investors who then created Old Customs House LLC. In 2018, the building was then sold to the State of Delaware, who plans to turn the space into offices for the judicial branch and community court facilities.

Architecture

Ammi B. Young designed the Greek revival building. The two-story structure consist of a cut stone base with stucco exterior walls and four smokestacks. It used to have a portico with a triangular pediment but that was removed in 1929. The hip roof is made of iron using innovative foundry technology for the period.

See also

• U.S. Post Office, Courthouse, and Customhouse (Wilmington, Delaware)
• List of United States federal courthouses in Delaware
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wilmington, Delaware

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2011-01-16.
2. Kozikowski, Michael E. (2008-08-25). "Parcel 2603540084". New Castle County Recorder of Deeds. Retrieved 2011-01-15. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. Scharf, John Thomas (1888). History of Delaware: 1609-1888: Local history. Vol. II. Philadelphia: L. J. Richards & Co. p. 754. LCCN 01013423.
4. Scharf, p. 766.
5. Rogerson, Harry, Wilmington: Picturing Change (Charleston, South Carolina): The History Press, 2008), p. 68. ISBN 1-59629-457-4.
6. "Customs House Garage". Wilmington Parking Authority. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2011-01-15. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. Kozikowski, Michael E. (2008-08-25). "2603540084 Advanced Search". New Castle County Recorder of Deeds. Retrieved 2011-01-15. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
8. "2021 Delaware Judiciary capital budget presentation" (PDF). 2021-05-04.
9. Dayton, Richard L. (1974-09-24). "Old Customs House NRHP Registry Nomination Form". The Victorian Society in America. Retrieved 2011-01-16. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

External links

• NRHP Site Listing with 1974 Photos
• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. DE-188, "Old Customs House, King at Sixth Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, DE", 19 photos, 2 data pages, 1 photo caption page

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Delaware
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Kent New Castle (Northern) New Castle (Southern) Sussex
Lists by city	Wilmington (New Castle County)
Other lists	Bridges National Historic Landmarks
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Delaware Portal:National Register of Historic Places

• Historic American Buildings Survey in Delaware
• Custom houses in the United States
• Courthouses in Delaware
• Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware
• Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware
• Government buildings completed in 1855
• Greek Revival architecture in Delaware
• Wilmington University
• Ammi B. Young buildings
• National Register of Historic Places in Wilmington, Delaware
• Custom houses on the National Register of Historic Places
• 1850s establishments in Delaware