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U.S. Custom House Review

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U.S. Custom House

Architectural Sites, Downtown


Fodor's Review:

This 1847 structure resembles a Greek Revival temple that appears to have sprouted a tower. It's just that. This is the work of architects Ammi Young and Isaiah Rogers -- at least, the bottom part is. The tower was added in 1915, at which time the Custom House became Boston's tallest building. It remains one of the most visible and best loved in the city's skyline. To appreciate the grafting job, go inside and look at the domed rotunda. The outer surface of that dome was once the roof of the building, but now the dome is embedded in the base of the tower.

The federal government moved out of the Custom House in 1987 and sold it to the city of Boston, which, in turn, sold it to the Marriott Corporation, which has converted the building into hotel space and luxury time-share units, a move that disturbed some historical purists. You can now sip a cocktail in the hotel's Counting Room Lounge, or visit the 26th-floor observation deck. The magnificent Rotunda Room sports maritime prints and antique artifacts, courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.

 

INFO

  • Address: 3 McKinley Sq., Downtown, Boston, MA
  • Phone: 617/310-6300
  • Metro: State, Aquarium

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Fodor's Essential USA, 1st Edition
$21.95
Fodor's Boston 2008
$16.95
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