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>> AUGUST 29, 2005.
HURRICANE KATRINA PUMMELS NEW ORLEANS
WITH 125 MILE AN HOUR WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN.
WITHIN HOURS, 80 PERCENT OF THE CITY IS UNDER WATER.
IN THE STORM'S AFTERMATH, DEATH AND DESTRUCTION,
WITH DAMAGE ESTIMATES TOTALING AT LEAST 81 BILLION DOLLARS.
AMONG THE BUILDINGS BATTERED,
THE LANDMARK UNITED STATES CUSTOM HOUSE.
MANY WONDERED WHETHER THIS 150-YEAR-OLD ARCHITECTURAL
TREASURE COULD BE RESTORED..AND IF SO, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE.
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NEW ORLEANS IS A RESILIENT CITY
THAT FOR NEARLY 300 YEARS HAS FLOATED ON MUDDY LAND
AT THE EDGE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT.
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ITS HISTORY REFLECTS A RICH BLEND OF PEOPLE
AND CULTURES BEGINNING WITH...THE CHOCTAW INDIANS,
WHO LIVED IN THE REGION FOR CENTURIES.
IN 1718, THE FIRST EUROPEANS, THE FRENCH,
SETTLED ON A CRESCENT-SHAPED SECTION
OF LAND ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
THEY NAMED THE SITE LA NOUVELLE ORLEANS-- NEW ORLEANS.
IT SERVED AS A TRADING CENTER THAT IN 1763 CAME
UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE SPANISH.
IN NOVEMBER 1803, THE SPANISH RETURNED NEW ORLEANS
TO THE FRENCH RULER NAPOLEON.
A MONTH LATER, NAPOLEON SOLD THE CITY TO THE UNITED STATES
AS PART OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
DURING THE 19TH CENTURY, NEW ORLEANS GREW
INTO A PROSPEROUS AMERICAN CITY.
>> NEW ORLEANS WAS A BIG PORT THAT AT
THAT TIME ALL THE GOODS COMING DOWN FROM THE HEARTLAND
OF THE COUNTRY CAME THROUGH TO THE NEW ORLEANS AREA.
>> IN 1809, INCREASING TRADE LED THE US GOVERNMENT
TO BUILD ITS FIRST CUSTOM HOUSE FOR COLLECTING DUTIES
ON IMPORTED GOODS COMING INTO THE COUNTRY.
WITHIN TEN YEARS, A SECOND CUSTOM HOUSE HAD REPLACED THE
FIRST ONE.
>> NEW ORLEANS, AT THE TIME
THAT THE CURRENT CUSTOM HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED,
WAS THE SECOND LARGEST PORT IN THE UNITED STATES,
SECOND ONLY TO NEW YORK, AND THE FOURTH LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
>> IN THE MID-1840S, TO ACCOMMODATE NEW ORLEANS' GROWTH,
CONGRESS AUTHORIZED THE BUILDING OF A THIRD CUSTOM HOUSE.
MANY ARCHITECTS SUBMITTED PLANS.
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BUT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT CHOSE A DESIGN
BY LOCAL NEW ORLEANS ARCHITECT ALEXANDER THOMPSON WOOD.
THE SELECTION PROVED CONTROVERSIAL
AND FORESHADOWED THE DELAYS AND DIFFICULTIES
THAT PLAGUED THE BUILDING'S CONSTRUCTION.
WOOD PLANNED A MASSIVE FOUR-STORY TRAPEZOID SHAPED
STRUCTURE, OCCUPYING AN ENTIRE CITY BLOCK
IN THE RIVERFRONT BUSINESS DISTRICT.
>> IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A MONUMENTAL BUILDING
TO REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMERCE HERE
IN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.
COMMERCE OF THE NATION.
>> THE CUSTOM HOUSE BLENDS TWO ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.
>> IT HAS DETAILS OF GREEK REVIVAL
AND EGYPTIAN REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE.
SO BASICALLY YOU CAN SAY IT IS AN EGYPTIAN REVIVAL BUILDING
BECAUSE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DETAIL.
>> THE EGYPTIAN REVIVAL DETAILS WERE, IN THE EXTERIOR COLUMNS,
FOR INSTANCE, UNUSUAL,
GIVING THE BUILDING A DISTINCTIVE APPEARANCE.
WOOD'S INTERIOR DESIGN CALLED
FOR A LARGE RECTANGULAR-SHAPED SPACE ON THE SECOND FLOOR,
THE GENERAL BUSINESS ROOM,
WHERE MUCH OF THE CUSTOM SERVICE WORK WOULD TAKE PLACE.
IT BECAME KNOWN AS THE GREAT MARBLE HALL.
>> MARBLE HALL, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GREEK REVIVAL
INTERIORS IN THE COUNTRY, IS A VERY ELABORATE SPACE,
AND THERE YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE DETAILS AT ITS FINEST.
>> MARBLE HALL MEASURES 95 BY 125 FEET
WITH A HEIGHT OF 54 FEET.
EACH OF ITS 14 MARBLE COLUMNS IS 41 FEET HIGH.
WHEN CONSTRUCTION ON THE CUSTOM HOUSE BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1848,
IT WAS TO BE THE LARGEST GOVERNMENT BUILDING
IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES, BUT OVER THE NEXT 12 YEARS,
CHANGES AND DISPUTES SLOWED ITS PROGRESS.
>> NEW ORLEANS, FEBRUARY 1, 1848, THE COMMENCEMENT
OF THE NEW ORLEANS CUSTOM HOUSE
IN THE CITY HAS BEEN UNAVOIDABLY DELAYED FOR MUCH LONGER
THAN THEY HAD PARTIALLY OWING TO THE DIFFICULTY
OF OBTAINING THE NECESSARY MATERIALS.
VERY RESPECTFULLY YOURS, A.T. WOOD, ARCHITECT.
>> DURING THAT TIME, FIVE MEN SUCCEEDED WOOD
AS LEAD ARCHITECT.
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BY 1860, WITH THE BUILDING ONLY PARTIALLY COMPLETED,
THE U.S. CUSTOM SERVICE AND THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT HAD
MOVED IN.
THEN CAME A MAJOR INTERRUPTION.
>> THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR,
THE CONSTRUCTION CEASED ON THE BUILDING.
THE WORKERS THAT WERE LOYAL TO THE CONFEDERACY LEFT TO GO FIGHT
WITH THE CONFEDERATE ARMY.
THE UNION LOYALISTS LEFT,
WENT BACK TO JOIN THE RANKS OF THE UNION ARMY.
>> IN 1862, UNION FORCES OCCUPIED NEW ORLEANS.
>> THOMAS WHARTON, ARCHITECT, DIARY OF MAY 3, 1862.
WENT TO THE CUSTOM HOUSE AND THE CITY HALL
AND FOUND BOTH OCCUPIED BY LARGE BODIES OF FEDERAL TROOPS,
TO WHOM I HAD NOTHING TO SAY.
>> THEY USED THE UNFINISHED CUSTOM HOUSE
AS A MILITARY HEADQUARTERS AND A FEDERAL PRISON
THAT REPORTEDLY HOUSED 2,000 CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS.
AFTER THE WAR, CONSTRUCTION RESUMED
UNDER SUPERVISING ARCHITECT OF THE TREASURY, ALFRED B. MULLET.
MULLET HAD DESIGNED MANY IMPORTANT FEDERAL BUILDINGS,
INCLUDING THE STATE, WAR,
AND NAVY BUILDING NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE.
HE REVISED WOOD'S ORIGINAL DESIGN, REPLACING THE DOME
WITH A MORE FUNCTIONAL SKYLIGHT, SET INTO A GRID
THAT PERMITTED NATURAL VENTILATION THROUGHOUT THE
BUILDING AND BATHED MARBLE HALL BELOW IN NATURAL LIGHT.
TOPPING THE ROOM'S ITALIAN MARBLE COLUMNS ARE CORINTHIAN
CAPITOLS FEATURING MERCURY, THE ROMAN GOD OF COMMERCE,
AND THE GODDESS LUNA,
WHOSE SYMBOL THE CRESCENT MOON REPRESENTS NEW ORLEANS,
THE CRESCENT CITY.
MULLET THEN SUBSTITUTED AN UNUSUAL FEATURE,
A CAST IRON CORNICE TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL GRANITE ENTABLATURE
ON THE BUILDING'S EXTERIOR.
IN 1881, AFTER 33 YEARS,
THE FOUR-STORY GRAY GRANITE CUSTOM HOUSE
ON CANAL STREET WAS COMPLETE.
IT WAS THE SECOND LARGEST FEDERAL BUILDING EAST
OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
THE U.S. CAPITOL WAS FIRST, AND IT STOOD
FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S KEY ROLE IN NEW ORLEANS.
>> THE CUSTOM HOUSE WAS, YOU COULD SAY, AN ANCHORING POINT.
CUSTOMS WAS ONE OF THE MAIN TENANTS,
BUT IT ALSO HOUSED THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE
AND THE U.S. DISTRICT COURTS ALSO.
>> BUT NO SOONER WAS THE CUSTOM HOUSE COMPLETED
THAN IT UNDERWENT CHANGES.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS REPLACED GAS LAMPS,
AND ELECTRIC ELEVATORS WERE INSTALLED.
THE 20TH CENTURY BROUGHT MORE ALTERATIONS.
>> IN ORDER TO CONCEAL UTILITIES, A LOT OF LAY
IN CEILINGS WERE PLACED IN,
WHICH PROVIDED SOUND-DEADENING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IT HID A LOT
OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BUILDING.
>> THE ALTERATIONS ALSO HID THE ORIGINAL WOOD FLOORS,
WHICH WERE COVERED IN VINYL TILE OR CARPETING.
CHANGE EVEN CAME TO MARBLE HALL.
BY THE MID-1950S, OFFICE CUBICLES CIRCLED ITS PERIMETER,
DIMINISHING THE ROOM'S GRANDEUR.
THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY, THE CUSTOM HOUSE SERVED A NUMBER
OF GOVERNMENTAL USES,
WHICH REQUIRED ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO ITS INTERIOR.
ALONG WITH THE POST OFFICE AND FEDERAL COURTS,
THE BUILDING HOUSED A MILITARY INDUCTION CENTER,
A TREASURY DEPARTMENT OFFICE, AND HEADQUARTERS
FOR A NUMBER OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.
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IN 1974, THE CUSTOM HOUSE WAS DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC
LANDMARK, BUT MANY
OF THE BUILDING'S KEY FEATURES STILL REMAINED HIDDEN.
IN 2003, THE CUSTOM SERVICE WAS TRANSFERRED
TO THE NEWLY CREATED BUREAU OF CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION,
OR CBP, PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
ALONG WITH THE TRANSFER CAME A NEW MISSION.
>> WHEN THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED, IT WAS PRIMARILY
TO COLLECT REVENUE FOR THE UNITED STATES.
THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE HISTORY
OF THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME.
IT WAS PRE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE,
AND SO THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE AT THE TIME WAS
IN CHARGE OF COLLECTING ALL THE REVENUES FOR THE COUNTRY,
AND SINCE 9-11, OUR FOCUS IS ON TERRORISM PREDOMINANTLY WHILE
AT THE SAME TIME COLLECTING REVENUES,
ENSURING LEGITIMATE TRAVEL AND TRADE
AND PROTECTING ALL THE LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> ALSO IN 2003, THE U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION,
STEWARD OF THE BUILDING,
LAUNCHED A TWO YEAR MODERNIZATION
AND REHABILITATION PROJECT.
ITS AIM WAS TO PREPARE A PORTION OF THE FIRST FLOOR
FOR THE AUDUBON INSTITUTE'S NEW INSECTARIUM--
PART OF A LEASE AGREEMENT
THAT WOULD MAKE THE BUILDING ACCESSIBLE
TO THE PUBLIC WHILE ALSO GENERATING REVENUE.
BUT BEFORE THE WORK WAS FINISHED,
HURRICANE KATRINA STRUCK.
WHILE THE BUILDING WITHSTOOD THE STORM'S FURY,
IT DID NOT GO UNSCATHED.
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>> AND, OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN SEE THE ROOF HAS BEEN BREACHED
IN CERTAIN, THE CEILING'S BEEN BREACHED IN CERTAIN AREAS THERE.
THATS GOT TO BE WATER DAMAGE AND LEAKAGE FROM SOMEWHERE.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE STORM, THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM
IN THE CITY BACKED UP.
THE, AT THE, THE ROOF IS SLIGHTLY INVERTED HERE
AT THE CUSTOMS HOUSE, AND UNFORTUNATELY,
THE ROOF FILLED UP WITH WATER.
THERE WAS, THE WATER COULDN'T GO
INTO THE REGULAR SANITARY SYSTEM, DRAINAGE SYSTEM
BECAUSE IT WAS FULL, AND AS A RESULT, THE ROOF COLLAPSED,
CAUSING, YOU KNOW, SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING.
>> THE WATER DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE THROUGHOUT ALL FOUR
FLOORS AND THE ATTIC.
IT LEFT A LOT OF MOLD, MILDEW.
MY UNDERSTANDING, I WAS NOT PERSONALLY HERE,
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE MOLD WAS, IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME
AS BEING SPIDER WEBBED THROUGHOUT CORRIDORS
AND ACROSS PASSAGEWAYS, AND AS A RESULT,
THE BUILDING WAS UNOCCUPIABLE FOLLOWING THE HURRICANE.
>> REPAIRING THE ROOF AND REMOVING THE MOLD AND MILDEW
IN THE VACANT BUILDING PROVIDED GSA WITH AN OPPORTUNITY.
>> IT'S THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN COMPLETELY EMPTY IN 150 YEARS.
WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY
TO DO A WHOLESALE BUILDING MODERNIZATION AND BRING
IN MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT SYSTEMS,
BOTH IN LIGHTING AND AIR CONDITIONING.
>> THE MODERNIZATION BEGAN IN MID-2006 AS A TWO-PHASE PROJECT.
>> THE FIRST PHASE WILL BE TO TAKE THE BUILDING AND REPAIR IT
TO A POINT WHERE WE HAVE AN OPERABLE SHELL THAT'S READY
TO RECEIVE TENANT BUILD OUT ACTIVITIES.
THE SECOND PHASE WILL BE
TO ACTUALLY DESIGN THE NEW TENANT SPACES, LAY THEM OUT,
AND TO CONSTRUCT THE SPACES TO FIT THEIR MISSION REQUIREMENTS.
>> PHASE ONE CLEANUP HELPED RESTORE THE BUILDING'S ORIGINAL
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER.
FOR INSTANCE, THE FOURTH FLOOR CORRIDOR SYSTEM
OF SKYLIGHTS AND LIGHT WELLS.
THE WORK UNCOVERED THE LONG-FORGOTTEN HOISTWAY SHAFT
USED TO MOVE ITEMS UP AND DOWN THE BUILDING DURING INSPECTION.
AT THE SAME TIME, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, COMMUNICATIONS
AND FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS WERE UPDATED.
AMONG THE KEY SPACES RESTORED, THE BUILDING'S MAIN ATTRACTION.
>> WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AFTER THE HURRICANE
TO DO A VERY DETAILED CONSERVATION,
RESTORATION PROJECT IN MARBLE HALL.
WE'RE TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE BUILDING BEING EMPTY
TO BRING IN THE LARGE QUANTITY OF SCAFFOLDING THAT YOU SEE
AND LITERALLY CLEAN ALL OF THE, ALL THE SURFACES FROM TOP
TO BOTTOM, AND DO SOME MINOR TOUCHUP AND REPAIR.
>> THE REPAIRS IN MARBLE HALL FOLLOWED ESTABLISHED STANDARDS
AND GUIDELINES FOR PRESERVING HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
PRIOR TO BEGINNING, GSA WORKED WITH THE LOUISIANA DIVISION
OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION TO ENSURE
THAT THE CLEANING WOULD BE DONE APPROPRIATELY.
>> WE LOOKED AT CONSERVATION,
CLEANING OF THE CORINTHIAN COLUMNS, THE MARBLE COLUMNS.
WE LOOKED AT ANY REPAIR WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
THEY BASICALLY PROVIDED PLANS AND SPECS
TO ADVISE US HOW THIS WORK WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN.
>> BUT ADAPTING A 19TH CENTURY BUILDING
FOR 21ST CENTURY USE IS NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES.
>> IN CONVENTIONAL CONSTRUCTION, UTILITIES GO VERTICALLY
UP THE WALL AND OVER A CEILING TO AN ADJACENT SPACE.
IN THIS BUILDING WITH THE HIGH-ARCHED CEILINGS,
THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
WE'RE TRYING TO BURY COMMUNICATIONS
AND POWER IN THE FLOORS.
WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IT IN THE WALLS.
WE'RE TRYING TO PUT IT ANYWHERE OTHER THAN IN THE CEILINGS
WHERE WE CONCEAL SOME OF THE CRAFTSMANSHIP
AND THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THIS BUILDING.
THE LOGISTICS ARE DIFFICULT, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES
OF RESTORING A TREASURE.
>> WITH THE SHELL OF THE BUILDING PREPARED,
THE SECOND PHASE OF THE REHABILITATION BEGAN.
DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING THE SPACE FOR TENANTS.
GSA AGAIN CONSULTED WITH THE LOUISIANA DIVISION
OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION
ABOUT PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE BUILDING.
>> THE WORK THAT WAS CONDUCTED WITH GSA,
THEY REALLY WENT THE EXTRA MILE TO ENSURE
THAT ALL WORK UNDERTAKEN RESPECTED THIS
HISTORIC LANDMARK.
>> IN JUNE 2008, THE AUDUBON'S INSECTARIUM OPENED
TO THE PUBLIC.
SINCE THEN, 200,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY EXPERIENCE THE CUSTOM
HOUSE'S 19TH CENTURY GRANDEUR.
>> AUDUBON FEELS ACTUALLY HONORED TO BE HERE.
THERE WERE RESTRICTIONS, BUT THEY REALLY WERE OPPORTUNITIES
BECAUSE THE BUILDING ITSELF, IF USED PROPERLY,
AND I THINK WE DID, PRESENTS SUCH GREAT OPPORTUNITIES
FOR VISITOR SPACES AND VISITOR REACTION AND VISITOR ENJOYMENT.
>> ALONG WITH THE INSECTARIUM, MARBLE HALL HAS FOUND A NEW USE
AS A SETTING FOR EVENTS WHICH BRING THE PUBLIC INTO ONE
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL INTERIORS
IN THE NATION.
AUGUST 8, 2011, NEARLY SIX YEARS AFTER KATRINA,
A CEREMONY IN MARBLE HALL COMMEMORATES THE RETURN
OF CUSTOM AND BORDER PROTECTION AGENCY WORKERS TO ONE
OF NEW ORLEANS' MOST HISTORIC SITES.
>> SO THIS CUSTOMS HOUSE, AS THE MAYOR SAID, IS AN IMPORTANT PART
OF OUR NATION'S HISTORY.
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL BUILDINGS
IN NEW ORLEANS.
MORE THAN A LANDMARK, THIS CUSTOMS HOUSE REMAINS A SYMBOL
OF THE RESILIENCE OF THIS COMMUNITY, OF THIS CITY.
SO KATRINA, RITA MAY HAVE INFLICTED HEAVY DAMAGE
TO THIS BUILDING.
IT MAY HAVE TORN DOWN ITS STONE.
IT MAY HAVE FORCED ITS CLOSURE, BUT IT DID NOT
IN THE END DAMPEN THE SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY,
THE SPIRIT OF ITS LEADERS, THE SPIRITS OF THOSE WHO WORK
WITHIN ITS FOUR WALLS.
>> TODAY, THE U.S. CUSTOM HOUSE
IN NEW ORLEANS HAS A RENEWED PURPOSE AND A NEW LIFE.
IT STANDS AS A MONUMENT TO A CITY'S PAST
AND A NATION'S PROGRESS, BUT IT ALSO LOOKS FORWARD
TO THE FUTURE, A TREASURE RESTORED.