Tars, Trade Goods & Taxes: US Custom House in Salem Tour August 22, 2010

During the height of Salem's East Indies trade, the Customs Service in Salem collected millions of dollars of taxes on incoming cargo, providing vital financial support for the new United States government. For three years, this building was the workplace of the famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne's experiences during his stint in the Custom House inspired his most famous novel, The 'Scarlet Letter.'