London's Custom House, historical artwork. The Custom House in London, on Thames Street, on the north bank of the River Thames, has a long history, dating from the 13th century. Destroyed in the Great Fire of London (1666), and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, it was severely damaged in 1714 by a gunpowder explosion. The building seen here, by the architect Thomas Ripley, was built in the period 1717-25 on the foundations of Wren's building. In its heyday, the Custom House was at centre of the worldwide trade of the British Empire, with countless goods and merchants passing through its doors. This artwork dates from 1760.