Alexander Hamilton US Custom House: New York City’s Colossal Landmark

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit an extraordinary Beaux Arts building worthy of its namesake.

Although the Custom House’s main entrance presents too many architectural details to take in with a glance, the dominant features are the 12 three-story Corinthian columns with ornate capitals holding up a decorated entablature. On the shelf at the top floor are 12 sculptures, carved by eight different sculptors, that are 11 feet tall. Each statue represents various seafaring nations that the United States traded with. Joseph Hendrickson/Shutterstock

Originally called the New York Custom House, the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House was renamed in 1990 to pay tribute to the Founding Father. The colossal structure consists of seven stories of stone and steel. Colonnades, Corinthian columns, sculptures, pediments, brackets, and carvings combine to present Beaux Arts style. Established primarily at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the early 19th century, the style combines classical architecture—most notably, in its use of columns and symmetry—with ornate, decorative, and eclectic adornments. The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House embodies this distinct architectural style.

American architect Cass Gilbert (1859–1934) designed the structure, which was completed at the turn of the 20th century. It was intended to showcase a combination of exceptional architecture, engineering, and art. He wrote that his plans would “illustrate the commerce of ancient and modern times, both by land and sea.” In fact, sculptures with nautical themes dominate the building’s exterior.

Situated facing Bowling Green park, near the southern end of the New York City borough of Manhattan, the behemoth building was constructed of granite blocks. The 50-ton, 30-by-8-foot lintel (horizontal beam) over the main entrance was made from stone quarried in Maine. The Custom House is worth visiting to marvel at its sheer size and extraordinary architectural design.

One of the stupendous features of this early 20th-century building is the second-floor rotunda. It is 135 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 48 feet tall. Designed by master craftsman Rafael Guastavino (1842–1908), it doesn't include steel. Instead, the rotunda incorporates Guastavino's self-supporting tile arch system. Intricately decorated plaster frames painted murals. The centerpiece is the 140-ton grand oval oculus skylight. The rotunda room flows from the lobby to the exhibition galleries of the Heye Center, which houses a branch of the National Museum of the American Indian. el_cigarrito/Shutterstock

The marble “Four Continents” sculptures by Daniel Chester French (1850–1931) line the front of the building. Two of the sculptures—each a collection of figures representing a continent—flank the grand staircase.  The central female figure in the sculptural representation of “America” (1903–1907) holds a torch; she is a symbol of liberty, akin to the Statue of Liberty. The man beneath her arm represents “labor.” French's other three sculptures represent the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Belikova Oksana/Shutterstock

The transverse lobby, which runs from east to west along the second floor, sports a barrel-vaulted ceiling, painted by Elmer E. Garnsey (1862–1946), resting on arches and columns. Baroque-style bronze lanterns hang from brass medallions on brass chains. Pavla.havirova/CC BY-SA 4.0

The rotunda includes a skylight and ceiling murals by New York City painter Reginald Marsh (1898–1954). The 1937 artwork depicts early explorers to America and the course of a ship entering New York City’s harbor. Featured between frescoes of sea explorers Henry Hudson (L) and Adriaen Block is the panel “SS Washington Passing Ambrose Lightship.” Public Domain

The carved marble fireplace in the Collector’s Office presents nautical imagery. The 1912 oil painting "New Amsterdam" is by artist Elmer E. Garnsey, who was responsible for the ceiling mural in the transverse lobby. Public Domain

The ceiling in the Collector’s Office is the most lavish in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House. Located in the building’s northwest corner, it was originally the main office for the Port of New York's collector, whose job was to ensure that import duties were paid on foreign goods entering the United States through the Port of New York. Paneled in painstakingly and elaborately carved oak, the coffered ceiling is the room’s pièce de résistance. Designed by Tiffany Studios, it features copious octagonal and square designs, as well as rosettes, shells, and egg-and-dart patterns that were carved from oak and painted gold and blue, primarily. Gkilkis79/CC BY-SA 4.0

Cantilevered, semicircular staircases leading to the seventh floor feature intricately designed paneled and painted walls adorned with classical design elements, such as miniature column motifs and rosettes. Pavla Walsh/ CC BY-SA 4.0

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