The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is partially housed in the historic 1898 structure located on the corner of Second and Commerce Streets in Downtown Clarksville, Tennessee. Featuring a unique blend of architectural styles, the magnificent edifice was originally constructed as a Federal Post Office and Customs House to jointly handle large volumes of domestic and foreign mail, as well as government business created by the area’s international tobacco trade.
In 1891, Congress approved $35,000 to construct the building, and three years later the federal government purchased a property for $6,500. The building was designed by William Aiken, Supervising Architect of the US Department of Treasury. After years of wrangling over plans and costs, a ceremonial groundbreaking took place on September 1, 1897, and the facility was opened to the public in November 1898 at a final construction cost of approximately $42,000.
Over time, the influence of the tobacco trade diminished and the post office was moved to a new location in 1939. From 1939 until 1983, the structure housed the offices of the Clarksville Department of Electricity. The 1898 building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
In 1983, the Clarksville City Council and the Montgomery County Commission jointly approved the organizational charter of the newly organized Clarksville-Montgomery County Historical Museum. The City of Clarksville leased the 1898 building to the Museum, which opened to the public in June 1984 in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the City’s founding. In 1996, a major building expansion was completed more than tripling the size of the facility. Along with the physical expansion, the Museum’s mission and scope of programming were greatly enhanced.
On January 22, 1999, Downtown Clarksville was devastated by an F3 tornado. Although the Museum suffered significant damage, the historic 1898 building was spared from ruin. Nearly 18 months later and after $1.8 million in repairs, the Museum was reopened to the public. During the closure, the Museum board decided to re-introduce the Museum with a new name and branding to reflect a new era of service. Since then, the institution has conducted business as the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center.
The citizens of Clarksville and Montgomery County have entrusted the Museum with the collection, preservation, interpretation and presentation of this area’s history, arts and culture. From its inception, the Museum has been committed to serving this diverse community. This commitment is reflected through a broad spectrum of services such as permanent exhibit installations, numerous temporary art exhibits, traveling science, crafts and historical themed exhibitions, multi-cultural presentations, music and theater performances, lectures, educational and enrichment activities for youth and adult audiences and frequent family-oriented special events. The Museum offers free group tours to all Clarksville-Montgomery County public school students. The Museum participates in multiple reciprocal membership programs, is a Museums for All and Blue Star Museum military family participant, and is a member of the Tennessee Association of Museums and the Southeastern Museums Conference.
The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center has always been and will continue to be dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life in Clarksville and Montgomery County.