Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-31
MEN OF ENTERPRISE
swARTZELL, RHEEM & HENSEY
REAL ESTATE COMPANY.
Change in the Name of Corporation
That Looks After Extensive
Interests.

The well-known real estate corporation,
| B. H. Warner Company, has just secured
an amendment to its charter. whereby its
| name has been changed to Swartzel,
Rheem & Hensey Company. The change
| is in name only. The business of the
| Swartzel, Rheem & Hensey Company
was established by Mr.. B. H. Warner in
| 1871, under the name of it's founder. In
| 1887 Mr.. George w. F. Swartzell, vino had
been associated with Mr.. Warner in the
! conduct of the business since 1876, was adj
| mitted to partnership and the name of the
| firm became B. H. Warner & Company.
| Two years later in 1889, Mr.. Clarence B.
Rheem, who had been closely identified
with the business since 1885, made a
! partner.
| Mr.. Warner organized the Columbia Ma
| tional Bank of this city in 1887, and, be-
| coming its first president, relnquished &C
| tive direction of the firms affairs, the man
| agement of which devolved almost entirely
| upon Mr. SwartZell and Mr.. Rheem. Later
Mr.. Warner organized the Washington
Loan and Trust Company, and as its first
president devoted practically the whole of
| his time to it's development. Then. in COM
mon with many other large and important
| concerns with wide interests and continuing
| responsibilities, the firm was incorporated
| in 1900, under the name of B. H. Warner
| Company, at which time Mr.. Alexander I.
Hensey was also added to its directing
| forces.
Mr.. Warner Retires.
| In 1902 Mr.. Warner, who, as already
| stated, had not been actively identified with
| the business for several years, retired from
| his connection with the company by the
sale of his interest to the present directors,
| to whose energy, conservatism and high
sense of responsibility is due so directly
| the development of the business to its
present large proportions. Mr.. Joseph ].
Darlington became a member of the DOarQ
| of directors in Mr.. Warmers place and was
| chosen as counsel of the company.
Thus 1t is seen that SwartZell, Rheem
| & Hensey Company represents the sue
cessful evolution of what 1t and has been
for over third Of a century one of the
| largest If not the largest. real estate man
aging and brokerage concerns in the Dis
| trict of Columbia. 1t has grown with the
growth of the city. maintaining on high
| and dgnified plane the reputation 1t has
| acquired through the personality or us
| officers as one of the strong developing in
| fiuences of the national capital Inc
Swartzen, Rheem & Hensey Company will
continue to be dominated by the men VINO
have for so many years jealousy guarded
| its integrity under other names. The d.
rectors are: George w. F. Swartzell, presl-
| dent; Clarence B. Rheem, vice president
| and treasurer; Alexander T. Hensey, sec
rotary; Joseph J. Darlington, counsel, ana
Luther A. SwartZell
Messrs George w. F. SwartZell and
Luther A. Swartzell have been connected
with the business for nearly thirty years,
and Mr.. Rheem has been identified with
it for nearly twenty years. The SWartzeli.
Rheem & Hensey Company handles the real
estate and investment interests OF cllents
scattered over the entire country, and In
the MANAGEMENT of the large volume of
business incident thereto employs an
office force of eighteen clerks, exclusive OF
it's officers and the employees of mechanl-
cal department of comprehensive proper
tons. It's business is thoroughly system
atiZed into departments, with an officer of
the company as specialist at the direct
head of each, that it may readily be
seen how it has been possible to handle
the extensive and responsible interests
placed in its charge with that painstaking
care and conservatism that have so con-
spicuously marked its career.
Personal Sketches.
Mr.. George w. F. Swartzell, president of
the company, has been one of the city's
substantial business men for many years
and a factor of Importance in its growth
and development. He was born in MifHin
county, Pa. February 4, 1857. and received
his education in the public schools Of that
state and at the Lewistown Academy. He
began his business career with the banking
firm of Doty, Parker & Company at
Southland Parker. Mr. Swartzell came to
Washington and entered the business of
B. H. Warner in 1876, when he was but
nineteen years of age. Eleven years later,
1
| and ever since has been conspicuous in the
| field of the citys activities.
Mr.. Clarence B. Rheem, the vice presi-
| dent and treasurer of the company, has
| likewise been identified in many important
ways with the development of Washington,
| as was his father before him. Mr.. Rheem
| was born in this city March 5, 1862. He
| was educated in the public schools here
| and graduated from the Washington High
| School with is pioneer class, in 1878, class
| to which belonged many men that have
| since become prominent in the business
and professional life of this and other
| cities. He was secretary of the board of
| trustees of public schools from 1880 to
| 1885, and resigned to accept a position
with the firm of B. H. Warner. Four
| years later, in 1885, he became a partner
| in the business.
| Mr.. Alexander T. Hensey, the secretary
| of the company, has especial direction of
| the sales department, and his name and
| influence have been associated with the ne
| gotiation of many realty transactions and
| conveyances of large proportions. He
| born in New York city, April "a, 1861, came
| to Washington as boy and studied in the
public schools here. Like Mr.. Rheem, he
| is a graduate of the class of IS of the
| Washington High School. He fnan-
| cial clerk of the Washington city post
| office under Postmasters Tulioch and Con-
ger From 1889 to 1894 he engaged in
newspaper work as proprietor of the
| Washington Sunday Herald He entered
| the real estate business in 1895, and since
/