Alton Lennon Federal Building and Courthouse, also known as the Customs House, is a historic Federal building and

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

located at Wilmington,

New Hanover County, North Carolina New Hanover County is one of 100 counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,702. Though the second-smallest NC county in land area, it is one of the most populous, as its county seat, Wi ...

. It was designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect under

James A. Wetmore James Alfonso Wetmore (November 1863 – March 14, 1940) was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department from 1915 through 1933 ...

and built between 1916 and 1919. It is an imposing three-story,

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

style light

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

building. It consists of a central mass with balanced projecting wings having engaged pedimented

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cul ...

s. The design of the front facade of the earlier 1840s customs house is incorporated into the projecting wings to the

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuri ...

details. The building measures 332 feet by 113 feet. The building was named for U.S. Congressman and Senator Alton Lennon (1906-1986) in 1976.Waymarking entry
/ref> It was used as the outside of the courthouse on seasons 7-9 of

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his character ...

's TV series ''Matlock'' on ABC. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1974. It is located in the Wilmington Historic District.

References

Federal buildings in the United States Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina Neoclassical architecture in North Carolina Government buildings completed in 1919 Buildings and structures in Wilmington, North Carolina National Register of Historic Places in New Hanover County, North Carolina Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in North Carolina {{NewHanoverCountyNC-NRHP-stub