Plural of customhouse; multiple official buildings where international trade is inspected and duties are collected.
From 'customhouse' with the standard English plural '-es.' Each major port city needed its own customhouse, making the plural common in historical and commercial texts.
Before modern electronic systems, every major port had an imposing customhouse staffed with officers checking every barrel, crate, and bundle—the physical architecture of trade and taxation, and a favorite subject for historical paintings showing busy colonial ports!
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