Alexander Hamilton Customs House Research Assignment

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Alexander Hamilton Customs House
Built using the Beaux-Arts architectural style, New York City boasts of the Alexander Hamilton Customs House. The building, seven-story-tall, steel framed was constructed by the United States federal government and opened in 1907, to house the collected customs by the Port of New York. Interestingly, the mansion was built to be the official residence of the President of the United States, but the then president, George Washington never occupied it. The building exhibits historical and contemporary artifacts and art of the Native Americans. It is also coupled as the National Archives of New York City and bankruptcy court. This Paper will take into account the historical background of this magnificent building.
In the early 20th century, New York City was the hub of flourishing port business.It served as an important trading center for the Native Americans that inhabited the area. Public transactions of the Roman Empire were conducted in this ornamented building. The monumental grandeur and beautification of the mansion, the sculptures, and paintings used were from the best- known artists of the time. Allegorical statues of continents, Asia, America, Africa and Europe, popularly referred to as The Continents, are some of the major exhibitions at the museum. The monumental female sculptress made of limestone, when viewed from left to right, the first in Asia. The sculpture’s representation is symbolic of the lack of hope that so many inhabitants of India showed. America’s has a young lady holding out a torch in her hand, to show the light. The sculpture of Europe is symbolic of Europe’s conquests, while that of Africa, is nude and in slumber. (Morris, 27). At the time Africa was referred to as the ‘sleeping continent’ since was unexplored, and nude as its inhabitants at the time wore no clothing. There is a row of ‘eight races of mankind’ made of sculpted head...