[2] By 1825, New Bedford had surpassed Nantucket as the capital of the whaling industry, a distinction it would hold for much of the nineteenth century.
[1] Architect Robert Mills was chosen to design the building and Seth and William Ingalls were hired as contractors.
[5] Although the whaling industry declined in the early 20th century, the customs district still remained profitable through the collection of duties on mill machinery imported from England.
[4][6] In one of the final acts of his presidency, William Howard Taft consolidated the nation's 165 customs districts into 49.
The elimination of the New Bedford district was opposed locally, as the elimination of the position of Collector meant that there would no longer be a Customs official who would actively work to have goods imported through New Bedford (the Collector received a portion of the fees collected in the district).