Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-17
MRS. HENDERSON DIES IN MAINE:
RITES HERE MONDAY AT CASTLE
Continued From First Pege)

Continued From First Psgeo
Henderson retal;ated by repudiating
her guardianship of the young woman
In the adoption papers she had mace
Mrs. Wholean her heir-aJ-iaW.
Far-Visioned Business Woman.
On July /. Justice James W. Proctor
refused in a memor andum opinion 10
set aside the adoption OF the grand
daughter, but has issued no order
a. rehearing. There the matter rests
and on the outcome of the suit involves
the disposition, probably, CT the large
fortune smassed by the elderly woman
Mrs, Henderson was a far-vlsloned
business woman az vel as a social
celebrity. Due to her. more than TO
any one else. Sixteenth street is the
fashionable thoroughfare that 1t
toCay.
Born 30 years ago in Saratoga Springs.
N. Y, and endowed with background
of New England heritage. Mrs. Hender-
son was one of the outstanding women
of America as an inside and closeup OBJ
server of the political and social life IN
the United States during 10 years. Most
IF these wears she spent in the Nations
CAPITAL. and Mrs Henderson's promi-
hence in its social. civic and even its
business activities is a matter OF his
tory.
Combining social graces and political
acumen with rare ability as broad
yisioned real estate developer, Mrs.
Henderson. since the death Of her dis
tinguisned husband the former Sem
ator from Missouri. developed upper
Sixteenth street, which at one time she
had the District Commissioners rename
the Avenue of Presidents" for brief
period.
Mrs. Hendcrscn's whole mind is
crvsta'lized on making artistic and
beautiful her pert in Washington her
| japanese private secretary, Jesse 8.
Shima. was quoted last Winter in an
! interview.
EnvisiOned Embassies
| "She envisioned all the embassies
! and legations here, each in beautiful
building designed according TO the ar
chitecture of its own country"
| From. her turreted brown stone resi-
| dence within walled grounds at Six
teenth street and Florida avenue where
she had resided more than 40 years,
! Mrs Henderson became the dictator of
the development Of this street AS she
had been social Grbiter in Washing
ION lIllltl T1Fl bOb0C. hilONiI
as Henderson'S Castle, or Boundary
Castle, for years. was one of the show
places of Washington. so unusual was
its general architecture.
More than 300 lots, all expensive. Mrs
Henderson purchased in the vicinity Of
Meridian Hill to further her dream. In
stead of collecting rents from the hum
BILE cottages that happened to be on
them. she swept them all away, PLAN
ming for the erection OF stately man.
Sions.
Spanish. Cuban and Polish diplomatic
! headquarters came to sites purchased at
, cost The French and Lithuanian Dip
| lomatic representatives moved into her
| mansions-she has about half a dozen
| cluttered about Meridian Hill. The
Mexican embassy next came TO ground
she had formerly owned
Site Saved for British.
! Bot the most cherished site of all
| an area of 80 acres, on the west side
| of Sixteenth street between Euclid
street and Kalorama road. now valued
| at 5000, 900. Mrs. Henderson had set
! aside in her own mind for the British
| embassy. Her disappointment was great
when the diplomatic representatives of
Great Britain chose 10 erect their new
/ headquarters on Massachusetts, avenue
| far from her hill. But undaunted. Mrs
! Henderson. up to her last illness, was
! in constant negotiation with embassies
and legations to relocate on Meridian
Hill
1t was her offer of the palatial man.
sion at 2437 Fifteenth street as home
for Vice Presidents that more recently
focused national attention on Mrs
Hende rson. and resulted in a suit being
brought in the District Supreme Court
by Mrs. Wholean. accepted as a grand
daughter of Mrs. Henderson. to prevent
the carrying out of this plan.
The house, free of encumbra noes.
cost 100000 and was completed in
1929. In her letter to Representative
Richard Elliott, chairman of the House
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds, she wrote: 'Ex-President
Coolidge in his autobiography calls at
tention to the need of a permanent
home for the Vice President. and ap-
| proves it's establishment" With her
offer, Representative Gibson of Vermont
! introduced a bill for its acceptance with
an appropriation of some 100000 for
furnishing the home and a provision
of $4,000 year for the upkeep of the
Second White Ho,lse." Congress never
acted
Sues to Stop Disposal.
! Last February ms. Wholean brought
suit not only to prevent her grand
mother giving away the mansion, but
also to prevent Mrs. Henderson from
j alternating any of the real estate be-
! longing to the estate of her husband.
John B. Henderson. and her son. John
B. Henderson, jr. The court was told
| that during the last two years Mrs.
Henderson had been seriously i'll under
the care of physicians and in SANTA
RUINS and the belief was expressed by
the petitioner that her grandmother S
mental condition incapacitated her from
properly performing the duties and
functions as trustee under the wills of
| her husband and son.
| Mrs. Wholean is a daughter of John
! b. Henderson, jr., and in her suit asked
| for complete accounting of the adj
ministra ton of both estates.
washington was amazed a few davS
later when Mrs. Henderson repudiated
a document made public in court in
which the 90-year-old woman purported
to claim that Mrs. Wholean was not
her real granddaughter.
! The document, bearing the name of
MARY P. Henderson," petitioned the
court to permit the adoption of the
| 1t was filed six years ago, prior to the
girls marriage to Joseph Wholean in
1927.
| Mrs. Henderson declared she had no
! recollection of signing such a paper
and would fight the suit filed by Mrs.
Wholean.
The petition for the adoption of
Beatrice Wholean was made public for
| the first time. The paper said the child
was adopted by the late John B. Hem
6erson. jr., and his wife, Angelica
| Schuyler Crosby Henderson also de-
| ceased. 1t continued that she had been
brought up as their child, and after his
wifes death the son and Beatrice had
| continuously resided with Mrs Hender-
son until the sons death in 1923. and
! that the child had ALWAYS been consid-