Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-18

The building is to be of monu-
mental character. plans seriously con-
Sidered in the past year calling for a
structure In the Louis XVI period
style.
The site for the building lies be-
tween Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets.
just to the north of Meridian Hill
Park, one of the projects in which
Mrs. Henderson played an important
part in bringing to the attention Of
Congress.
Woman's Vision Praised.
Mai George Oakley Totten. jr.,
architect for the embassy, legation and
diplomatic buildings erected by Mrs.
Henderson, who recently was elected
president of the Washington Chapter
of the American Institute Of Archi-
tects, today. voiced praise for the vision
of Mrs. Henderson in planning En-
beSsy Row" and for her continued ef-
forts and expenditures year after year
to make the developments reality.
Enunlerating the group OF buildings
along or near upper Sixteenth street
built by Mrs. Henderson. Maj. Totten
pointed out that the Embassy Row"
development has become reality and
predicted that it would continue to
grow The French embassy was one
of the first developments which had
greatly interested the late grand
Game" of Washington society.
The French government purchased
the site for the new embassy from Mrs.
Henderson.
The amount of money expended by
Mrs. Henderson in the embassy devel-
opment program may be taken as one
indication Of her faith in her favorite
project She erected nine buildings
for diplomatic use. 1t was not her
aim to sell the buildings to foreign
governments at profit. Maj. Totten
explains. In fact, two or more Of the
buildings erected in more recent years
stood idle for considerable time, bring
ing loss Of interest on the money ex-
pended for them.
The cost OF constructing the build
ings, Maj Totten recalled. ranged from
about 100000 to $250,000. Thus the
total invested over the quarter century
would run into large fortune.
The first of the buildings erected by
Mrs. Henderson in this plan was the
Venetian type residence at Sixteenth
and Euclid streets. built IN 1906. This
later became the home OF Mrs. Mar
shall Field.
Building Reared in 1907.
Then came the present French en-
tassy building, erected in 1907, under
the direction of Jules Jusserand, for
ner French Ambassador to the United
States. 1t IS of modern French archi-
tectural style.
Another structure erected later was
the former home of the Spanish
Embassy, now occupied by the Persian
and EStonian government representa-
tives, on Sixteenth street between
Euclid and Fuller streets, this being of
Spanish type design inspired by a
building at Salamanca, Spain.
The Polish Embassy at Sixteenth
and Fuller streets. which followed, was
designed much after the fashion of
the Petite Trianon at Versailles.
Then Mrs. Henderson built the large
private residence at the corner of
Sixteenth street and Park road which
Became the home-of Breckenridge Long
Assistant Secretary Of State in the
Wilson administration. 1t is modern
tstic in style. Others which were built
later by Mrs. Henderson were: The
home Of the Nicaraguan Legation at
Fifteenth and Chaplin streets, a build
ing in English Tudor lines; the new
Spanish Embassy, at Sixteenth and
Fuller streets. a structure of Spanish
style; the new building on Fifteenth
street near Euclid street. overlooking
MERRIAM Hill FdTk, a DullQlIlg following
Italian renaissance style. which Mrs.
Henderson volunteered to give to the
United States as private home for the
Vice President: and the French cha
teau type of building at the southeast
corner Of Sixteenth and Lamont
streets, which has not yet been
occupied
In addition to these buildings erected
for diplomatic use, number Of other
similar structures have followed the
trend to upper Sixteenth established
by Mrs. Henderson. These include the
home of the Netherland Legation. the
Cuban Embassy and the italian
Embassy
Mai. Totten revealed today that Mrs.
Henderson, in addition to creating the
idea Of an embassy section there buy
ing up large tracts Of land as prospec-
tive sites, expanding money for the
erection of buildings which she hoped
to sell or lease to foreign governments,
also drew elementary sketches of the
buildings she PLANNED to erect leaving
the designing of the exterior and the
detailed planning of the interiors to the