Custom House in the historical district of Yorktown, Virginia

See the Historical Buildings of Yorktown web page for a map of the historical area.

The Custom House in the historical district of Yorktown was built in 1721 by Richard Ambler, one of the wealthiest men in Virginia. He served as the collector of import / export taxes. Yorktown was established in 1691 as one of the few official ports in Virginia where all imported and exported goods had to pass. The Custom House was where goods were stored until taxes were paid.

The Custom House was used as a barracks at the start of the American Revolution. In 1778 it was sold by Richard’s wife, Jacquelin, to Thomas Wyld, who used it as an inn and storehouse until the fighting at Yorktown began. It was taken over as a barracks by the British and then by French troops after the surrender in October, 1781. In 1783, the Amblers regained the house in a lawsuit with Wyld, who apparently hadn’t paid for the building in full and was in default. The family sold it for good in 1797 to Alexander Macauley, who owned it until his death in 1859.

The Amblers built a wooden home that connected to the brick Custom House, and this survived all the way until the Civil War, at which time it burned down. After the war the building was sold to Daniel McNorton, a former slave and now physician who used it as his medical office. His patients were also former slaves who settled in Slabtown, an area near the current Yorktown National Cemetery.

After being used by a number of other businesses, the Custom House was purchased in 1924 by the Comte de Grasse Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and restored a few years later. Today it serves as the Chapter’s meeting house and a museum. It is open to the public on Sundays from June through October. It is not associated with the National Park Service.

Back to the Top