U.S. Custom House

Occupying an entire block in the central business district of Downtown Houston (between San Jacinto, Carolina, Capital and Rusk), the U.S. Custom House was built as a post office and courthouse between 1907 and 1911 and then converted into a custom house. It is a phenomenal example of the Second Renaissance Revival architectural style with its arched first-story windows, deeply jointed rusticated stonework, emphasis on the horizontal plane and overall stately appearance. The style’s classical origins are clear in the building’s symmetry as well as the shapes and motifs that embellish the exterior and interior. The main part of the building has three stories with a full basement while the wings have four stories all under a copper Mansard roof.

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