Historic Custom Houses and Architectural Landmarks of Trade

The United States Custom House is a historic United States federal government building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built between 1932 and 1934 to the Art Deco designs of the architectural firm of Ritter & Shay, the building occupies an entire block between Second, Chestnut, and Sansom Streets and the former Exchange Place in the heart of the oldest section of the city. At 17 stories and 287 feet (87 m) tall, the massive building towers above other nearby historic buildings of the shipping, financial, and commercial quarter. Its south and west sides border Independence National Historical Park.

The Philadelphia Custom House Legacy

The United States Custom House in Philadelphia is a product of the great federal building projects of the Depression era. The building currently houses federal offices for the U.S. FDA, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S Customs and Border Protection agencies. The building was rehabilitated in 1991–93 and underwent a major renovation in 2010–13. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 25, 2011. Distinguished by richness of materials and the quality of its design, the U.S. Custom House is a fitting architectural monument to Philadelphia's status as one of the nation's largest ports.

The U.S. Customhouse in San Francisco

The U.S. Customhouse is a historic custom house located in San Francisco, California. It was built to house offices of the United States Customs Service. In 1905, the architectural firm Eames & Young won a national design competition for the new structure. They designed the building in the Beaux Arts Classicism style, which was popular as part of the City Beautiful movement that sought to create more appealing urban centers. The imposing six-story building is faced in pale granite from Raymond, California. Construction was not completed until 1911, as a devastating earthquake and subsequent fire decimated San Francisco in 1906, causing severe labor and material shortages. The U.S. Custom House was later listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Customs Street in Auckland, New Zealand

Customs Street is a street in the Auckland City Centre, New Zealand, located between Hobson Street and Beach Road. Customs Street was built on reclaimed land. By 1859, reclamation work on Commercial Bay had begun, and Customs Street was created. The street was an important centre for trade in Auckland in the early 20th century due to its proximity to the Auckland waterfront and the railway station. Notable locations along the street include the former Customhouse, now the location of duty-free shopping centre T Galleria, and the Dilworth Building, a historic mixed-use building constructed in the 1920s.

The 427 Tracker: A Custom Engineering Project

Beyond historical architecture, the 427 Tracker is a zesty custom Yamaha RD400 from Canada. This svelte little number is the work of Smyth Innovations, run by Cam Smyth—an industrial designer-turned-custom bike builder. The 1976-model Yamaha RD400 served as the donor for this project. The engine was stripped down to its bare cases, which were blasted, powder coated and reassembled with new seals and gaskets. Lurking inside are a new crank and pistons, bored-out cylinders and a few other go-fast mods. The team even cleaned up some of the factory trimmings, and shaved off the cast writing on the cases.

Key Data and Comparison of Custom Landmarks

• Philadelphia Custom House: Built 1932–34, Art Deco style, 17 stories tall, located at 200 Chestnut Street.
• San Francisco Customhouse: Built 1911, Beaux Arts Classicism style, 6 stories tall, located at 555 Battery St.
• Auckland Customs Street: Created 1859 on reclaimed land, major commercial and trade center in New Zealand.
• 427 Tracker Yamaha: Custom 1976 RD400 model, 2-stroke engine, built by Smyth Innovations.