US Custom House Maritime Museum

Custom House Maritime Museum: A Gateway to Freedom and Maritime History

The Custom House Maritime Museum in New London, Connecticut, is a landmark on both the Connecticut Freedom Trail and the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Steeped in history, the oldest continuously operated customs building in the U.S., constructed in 1833, played a significant role in both the Amistad case and the Underground Railroad. Designed by Robert Mills, the architect of the Washington Monument, the Custom House remains a functioning customs facility while serving as a museum that preserves New London’s maritime legacy.

The Amistad Connection

In 1839, New London and its U.S. Custom House played a small but pivotal role in the Amistad incident, one of the most significant legal battles in the fight against slavery. New London holds the distinction of being the only American port to which the original La Amistad ever sailed. Key moments of the case took place here:

• Local abolitionist Dwight P. Janes first spoke up in defense of the ship’s captives.
• The Amistad remained moored at Lawrence Pier throughout the trial.
• After the trial’s conclusion, the ship and its cargo were auctioned at the Custom House.

The museum now hosts the largest Amistad exhibition in Connecticut, preserving this powerful story of resistance and justice.

An Underground Railroad Victory: The Case of Benjamin Jones

In 1859, the Custom House became the battleground for an Underground Railroad escape that tested the conflict between state and federal law.

Benjamin Jones, an enslaved man, fled in search of freedom but was captured the next day and brought to federal authorities at the Custom House. Under the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, he should have been returned to his enslaver. However, Connecticut’s 1848 Personal Liberty Law prohibited slavery in the state. This legal contradiction left the authorities uncertain.

When asked, “Do you want to be slave or free?” Jones replied, “Free.” Judge Brandegee ruled in favor of Connecticut law and ordered his release, granting Benjamin Jones his freedom.

A Living Maritime and Freedom History Site

Today, the Custom House Maritime Museum provides visitors with a glimpse into New London’s rich maritime and abolitionist history. Along with its Amistad exhibition, the museum offers:

• Lighthouse and boat tours,
• A museum shop,
• Rotating temporary exhibitions.

As a symbol of justice, maritime commerce, and abolitionist history, the Custom House Maritime Museum continues to honor New London’s legacy in the fight for freedom.

This site is open to the public