▁ 1 8 5 5 . ▁Am mi ▁Burn ham ▁Young , ▁Super vis ing ▁Arch itect ▁of ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁Department , ▁designed ▁the ▁two - story , ▁Renaissance ▁Rev ival ▁style ▁building ▁with ▁an ▁advanced ▁cast - ir on ▁struct ural ▁system ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 . ▁The ▁custom sh ouse ▁occupied ▁the ▁second ▁level ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁when ▁Bar n stable ▁ceased ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁custom s ▁district ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁right . ▁The ▁first ▁level ▁continued ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁post ▁office ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁The ▁federal ▁government ▁de eded ▁the ▁building ▁and ▁grounds ▁to ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Bar n stable ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁historical ▁museum , ▁which ▁opened ▁that ▁same ▁year . ▁The ▁building ▁is ▁dedicated ▁to ▁Donald ▁G . ▁T ray ser , ▁a ▁local ▁Bar n stable ▁historian , ▁former ▁editor ▁of ▁The ▁Bar n stable ▁Patri ot , ▁former ▁C ler k ▁of ▁the ▁Bar n stable ▁Super ior ▁Court , ▁and ▁editor ▁of ▁Bar n stable ▁- ▁Three ▁Cent uries ▁of ▁a ▁Cape ▁C od ▁Town , ▁which ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁the ▁historic ▁building ▁hous ed ▁the ▁collection ▁of ▁the ▁Bar n stable ▁Historical ▁Society . ▁After ▁the ▁Society ▁moved ▁out , ▁the ▁custom house ▁was ▁restored ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁dedicated ▁local ▁residents ▁and ▁re open ed ▁as ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁Heritage ▁Museum ▁at ▁the