United States Custom House (New York City)

[8] After the World Trade Center was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001, employees were moved to various places in Manhattan, Queens, and Elizabeth in New Jersey.

Until the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, which instituted a national income tax, the New York Custom House supplied two-thirds of the federal government's revenue.

[11] The amount of money passing through the Custom House made working there a prime position, and corruption was widespread.

[12] Until the civil service reforms of the late nineteenth century, all Custom House employees were political appointees.

The Customs House patronage was the subject of great debate during the Rutherford B. Hayes administration, as Hayes attempted to establish a merit-based system of appointments, while Senator Roscoe Conkling wished to retain the spoils system, under which he controlled the patronage there.