Of all the historical artefacts to have been lost in Port Elizabeth, the destruction of the old Customs House must be the most significant. Its demise was being badly damaged by fire in 1978. Attempts to save the building failed and it was demolished in 1982.
Main picture: Customs House with its tower which was removed after a flood in 1908
Original Customs House
When Port Elizabeth’s first customs official, William Dunn (1821-27), arrived in December 1821, he was given one of the old wooden garrison buildings dating back to the first British occupation (1795-1803) to use as a customs house. By February 1822, however, a quote of R$34500 for a new building was accepted from H Schutte. But a delayed start saw the government take the opportunity in April 1823 to order Schutte to build it at the Kowie instead. Construction started there in August 1824 and the building was completed by the end of the year. Thus Dunn was left with the old military building. In 1824 a request for a new building was supported by the local landdrost, J G Cuyler, but Dunn had to be satisfied with permission being granted in April 1825 for him to hire Hunt’s house as a combination customs house, post office and residence. The annual rent was R$60.
By 1826 support for the Kowie as the major eastern Cape port was on the wane. The commissioners of inquiry decided that a collector should be appointed at Port Elizabeth and a separate customs house established where “the custom duties received in the eastern province may be accounted for in the same manner as those in Cape Town.” They felt Algoa Bay was more “attractive to shipping” in addition to being close to Uitenhage where they proposed to have the seat of government. It was recommended, however, that a customs officer continued to be appointed at Port Frances, “who should report to and act under the orders of the collector at Port Elizabeth“. The whole move was to be financed by trimming £900 off the salaries of customs and port officials in the western Cape.
D P Francis was appointed Port Elizabeth’s first collector of customs and port captain in 1828. By 1831 it was decided to create the separate post of harbour master. Edward Wallace duly arrived in November and took over the port office from Francis. But it was found that the customs office was too small for both of them. Thus Francis suggested that Wallace operate from the two buildings used to house the port boatmen which was conveniently near the landing beach.
Fifteen years later Port Elizabeth still did not have a customs house specifically built as one. Early in 1846 the customs department moved into a wing of the recently completed Commercial Hall which it rented for £45 a year. The other wing was occupied by a reading club for £30 a year. However, the centre room, one of the largest in the eastern Cape, had never been put to the use for which it had been designed. In August 1846 tenders were called for it and the south wing’s hire.
Eventually in 1865 a start was made on constructing a customs house. The foundation stone was laid by the sub-collector, F B Pinney, on March 22. Situated on the corner of Fleming and North Union Streets, this land belonged to William Fleming, my second great uncle. The Italian-style building was designed by Alfred Warren and built by Charles Inggs but objections from the government had seen it reduced from three to two floors. The building was handed over to the customs department on June 18, 1866, ” ‘replete with every convenience,’ and a credit to its designer, Mr. A. Warren, and Mr Inngs (sic), the builder.“
The New Customs House
At a Town Council meeting on the 2nd October 1889, after a letter from H.S. Greaves, Colonial Architect, of the Public Works Department in Cape Town, was read, it was agreed that the Government could have reclaimed land at the bottom of Jetty Street on which to build a permanent custom house. Foundations were commenced on 20th November 1889, and Captain Young moved into his office in March 1891.
The Harbour Board advertised its move into the new building in 1893. The customs house created a most imposing entrance to Port Elizabeth.
It was located on ground reclaimed from the sea at the foot of the North Jetty. It was constructed in 1891 on the site of the “Captains Rest Rooms” which was patronised by the seafaring folk. The sea used to wash almost to its walls but now, due to reclamation for the Charl Malan Quay in 1933, the sea has been pushed back about 137.16 metres.
Originally the Customs House occupied pride of place on the shoreline of the North Jetty but was now not quite as prominent as before.
Customs House with its tower
The Customs House was situated at the main entrance to the Port Elizabeth harbour. This is an imposing assortment of buildings, erected under the supervision of the Public Works Department, containing various offices for the examination of luggage and goods. The design architect was Adolph Gislingham Howard.
After the removal of the Tower
After the 1908 flood, the tower was thought to be unstable and it was removed. Exactly how the flood affected the tower is unknown but a priceless artefact was lost.
After the construction of the Charl Malan Quay in 1934
The Coat of Arms on the Customs House, which have been brought from the original Fleming Street custom house, was removed in 1961 and destroyed.
The Final Years
Badly damaged by fire in 1978, attempts to save the building failed and it was demolished in 1982.
Customs House today
Sources:
Port Elizabeth: A Social Chronicle to the end of 1945 by Margaret Harradine
First purposely built Customs House at PE from the thesis of Jon Inggs at Rhodes in the 1970s, “Liverpool of the Cape: Port Elizabeth harbour development 1820-70“, MA thesis, Rhodes University, 1986, pp 260-61.
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Dean I have only just recently come across your Port Elizabeth blog – fascinating stuff indeed!
Here is an extract on the first purposely built Customs House at PE from my thesis at Rhodes in the 1970s: Jon Inggs, “Liverpool of the Cape: Port Elizabeth harbour development 1820-70”, MA thesis, Rhodes University, 1976, pp 260-61.
I have a photograph if you want to use it and the information for you blog.
The builder, Charles Inggs (1815-69), is my ggg-grandfather who arrived in PE on the SS Indian Queen with his family in July 1858. Supposedly the coat-of-arms he created for the building was transferred to the new Customs House in the 1890s.
Keep up the good work!
Jon Inggs
Appendix 9
9.9 CUSTOMS HOUSE:
When Port Elizabeth’s first customs official, William Dunn (1821-27), arrived in December 1821, he was given one of the old wooden garrison buildings dating back to the first British occupation (1795-1803) to use as a customs house.(174) By February 1822, however, a quote of R$34500 for a new building was accepted from H Schutte.(175) But a delayed start saw the government take the opportunity in April 1823 to order Schutte to build it at the Kowie instead.[ 176] Construction started there in August 1824 and the building was completed by the end of the year.[177] Thus Dunn was left with the old military building. In 1824 a request for a new building was supported by the local landdrost, J G Cuyler, but Dunn had to be satisfied with permission being granted in April 1825 for him to hire Hunt’s house as a combination customs house, post office and residence. The annual rent was R$60.(178)
By 1826 support for the Kowie as the major eastern Cape port was on the wane. The commissioners of inquiry decided that a collector should be appointed at Port Elizabeth and a separate customs house established where “the custom duties received in the eastern province may be accounted for in the same manner as those in Cape Town.”(179) They felt Algoa Bay was more “attractive to shipping” in addition to being close to Uitenhage where they proposed to have the seat of government. It was recommended, however, that a customs officer continued to be appointed at Port Frances, “who should report to and act under the orders of the collector at Port Elizabeth”.(180) The whole move was to be financed by trimming £900 off the salaries of customs and port officials in the western Cape.
D P Francis was appointed Port Elizabeth’s first collector of customs and port captain in 1828. By 1831 it was decided to create the separate post of harbour master. Edward Wallace duly arrived in November and took over the port office from Francis. But it was found that the customs office was too small for both of them. Thus Francis suggested that Wallace operate from the two buildings used to house the port boatmen which was convenienty near the landing beach.(181)
Fifteen years later Port Elizabeth still did not have a customs house specifically built as one. Early in 1846 the customs department moved into a wing of the recently completed Commercial Hall which it rented for £45 a year. The other wing was occupied by a reading club for £30 a year. However, the centre room, one of the largest in the eastern Cape, had never been put to the use for which it had been designed.(182) In August 1846 tenders were called for it and the south wing’s hire.(183)
Eventually in 1865 a start was made on constructing a customs house. The foundation stone was laid by the sub-collector, F B Pinney, on March 22. The Italian-style building was designed by Alfred Warren and built by Charles Inggs. But objections from the government had seen it reduced from three to two floors.(184) The building was handed over to the customs department on June 18, 1866, “‘replete with every convenience,’ and a credit to its designer, Mr. A. Warren, and Mr Inngs (sic), the builder.”(185)
175. RCC XXVII pp 217-19 – 11/2/1822 Schutte to govt sec, 27/2/1822 govt sec to Schutte
176. RCC XXVII pp 219-20 – 4/4/1823 govt sec to Schutte. Cory dates this as 1824 – Cory vol II p 96
177. RCC XXVII pp 219-20 – 24/11/1823 Schutte to govt sec, 13/12/1824 Schutte to govt sec; GTJ 8/6/1832 p 25. In 1826 Schutte claimed R$17157 in extra expenses for building at the Kowie instead of Port Elizabeth: RCC XXVII pp 215-17 – 5/8/1826 gov to colonial secretary.
178. Victor (1973) p 302
179. RCC XXVII pp 447 – 6/9/1826 report of the commissioners of inquiry to Bathurst on finance
180. RCC XXVII pp 447
181. Victor (1973) pp 305-06
182. EPH 25/4/1846 p 2 – letter from “A Shareholder”
183. EPH 8/8/1846 p 1
184. EPH 11/4/1865 p 3
185. EPH 19/6/1866 p 2
Hi Jon
I would appreciate whatever info that you have. I will include that in my blog
If you have any other info or photos on PE of Yore, I would appreciate it
You will notice that I have written a whole bunch of blogs on PE & have just written a book on my great great grandfather, the Rev Francis McCleland who erected the oldest extant house in PE viz No. 7 Castle Hill as well as St. Mary’s Church
Regards
Dean McCleland