1861 Custom House

Galveston's custom house was completed in 1861 after only 114 days of construction-a tremendous accomplishment in any era. The significance is even greater when one reflect upon the craftsmanship and durability as this is one of the only buildings to survive both the 1885 fire and the Great Storm of 1900. This building hosted a ceremony officially ending the Civil War in Texas in 1865-a ceremony that also signified the first occupation of federal officers in a building that was intended to be used by the federal government but home to the Confederate Army for the first four years of its existence.