Tollhouses

Tollhouses are small buildings or booths located at toll gates on roads, bridges, ferries, or other controlled access points where tolls are collected from users of the infrastructure. They often housed a toll collector and, in some cases, the gate mechanism that blocked or allowed passage.

Historically, tollhouses were integral to the rise of turnpike networks in Britain and elsewhere. In Britain, turnpike trusts established tollgates along new and improved roads from the 18th century onward, with tollhouses commonly built as single-story stone or brick structures with a windowed façade to monitor approaching traffic. A gate or barrier was typically stationed beside the tollhouse, and the keeper might also live there or in a connected dwelling.

In the United States and other regions, tollhouses accompanied early road, bridge, and ferry toll systems in the 19th century and earlier. As toll facilities evolved, many tollhouses disappeared or were repurposed; a number survive as museums, private residences, or business properties, preserved for their historical value.

Current practice has reduced the need for on-site tollhouses because of automated toll collection, all-electronic tolling, and staffed toll plazas requiring separate facilities. Nevertheless, tollhouses and gatehouses from the turnpike era remain notable as heritage structures, often protected as listed buildings and sometimes converted for new uses while preserving historical features.