The Customs House, also known as Jopling Hardware, is one of the oldest buildings that is still standing in Marquette.

It has had many different owners over its 156-year tenure.

The structure was built in 1867 by Col. James Picklands, a civil war veteran from Cleveland.

He opened a store that carried heavy hardware along with mining and railway supplies, according to the Customs House website.

The building was got the its name in 1868, when a fire, including the harbor, decimated much of Marquette’s downtown.

The hardware store was one of the last buildings standing.

Since Marquette was a seasonal port, there had been no need for a year-round office. So, prior to the fire, customs agents used temporary offices around the city during shipping season.

Following the fire, customs operations were conducted from the second floor of the Lakeshore Boulevard building, thus earning it the moniker of “The Customs House.”

In 1888 A.O. Jopling became the owner of the hardware business and the building that housed it.

Jopling, a civil engineer by trade, emigrated from England. He later became the lead engineer for Cleveland Cliffs.

He was also married the daughter of Marquette pioneer Peter White, Mary Hewitt White, according to a Tyler Tichelaar’s blog.

By 1897, the building was owned by the Duluth South Shore & Atlantic Railway. The company used it to store papers.

The DSS&A was acquired by the Soo Line in 1960, and by 1987 had sold the Customs House to private investors who formed Wisconsin Central Railroad.

The building was later sold to Canadian National Railroad.

It was purchased in 1991 by the Baker family, who eventually formed Customs House, LLC.

The company recently renovated the building into four high-end condominiums.