There ain't no poor folks living there. The Henderson Castle was built by then-senator John Brooks Henderson in the 1800s and sat across the street from the mansion on Meridian Hill. All along 16th street, Mary Henderson built mansions and rented them to foreign governments and embassies. St. Mary Henderson persuaded Congress to change the name of 16th Street to the Avenue of Presidents. Mary Henderson died in 1931 and her castle was razed in 1949, according to Goode.
People passing by barely notice the stone posts that led to a house that was once so grand.
Today, apartment houses span much of 16th Street near the site of the Henderson Castle, a fact that would not have pleased Mrs. Henderson, who insisted that they be excluded from fronting on her' street during her lifetime. Today, the hill is home to people like Klass and Hecker, who moved there for the location, the security and the convenience. A contingent of dog walkers frequents Meridian Hill Park, across the street from Beekman Place. They've come up with a Doggy Play Group and a roster of dogs and their owners, which is alphabetized by dog names. There, people are known not by their names but by which dogs they belong to.