Old Custom House

The Old Custom House is a low, thick-walled adobe structure with a wide, red-tiled roof and a broad wooden porch facing the waterfront. Before California became a state, this building served as the official port of entry for all foreign goods. Under Mexican rule, Thomas Oliver Larkin operated as the collector of customs here, carefully weighing taxes on every crate of silk or tea. It holds the official site number one of the California State Landmark program, marking the spot where American authority arrived.