Coast Guard Heritage Museum
Coast Guard Heritage Museum
3353 Main St
Barnstable, MA 02630
(508) 362- 8521
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum dedicated to the preservation of the history of the United States Coast Guard and its predecessor organizations. The Coast Guard Heritage Museum was founded on Cape Cod in 2005. In that same year, it occupied what was known as the U.S. Custom House on Route 6A in Barnstable Village as the base of its operations and as the site for its historic displays. Today, existing displays have been enhanced and new ones created but the Custom House still remains the heart of all of the museum activities.
The Custom House building itself dates back to the mid-1800s. In 1789, the Town of Barnstable was established as the administrative center for the Seventh U.S. Customs District. Initially, customs activities took place in the home of the individual who held the position as collector. In the mid 1800’s, however, when the Port of Barnstable became one of the busiest ports in Massachusetts, collector Sylvanus Phinney—for whom Phinney’s Lane is named—convinced Congress to build the current building which was completed in 1855.
