Evening star., 1949-01-30

1Hc llStOTy Oh tIle 11cuQcI sui
Castle dates back to 1888, when q
permit was issued on April II to
John B. Henderson to erect this
unusual Landmark, which soon may
be q thing OF the past. In its time
no private home in and around
Washington has attracted so much
attention and admiration as this
Seneca stone structure.
It was in 1887 that Senator John
B. Henderson and Mrs. Henderson
bought the acre site in the Meridian
Hill subdivision from A. P. Pardon
and William c. Hill, and 1t was a
year later when the castle was
begun. 1t was completed about
1891, when the Hendersons moved
to this city 1t cost them $31 900
for the ground and probably much
more for the construction of the
building, and the surrounding wall
cost considerable, even at that time.
1t is quite true that Mrs. Hender-
son was the salvation of Meridian
Hill, and of this the writer speaks
from personal knowledge, since he
moved into this subdivision In 1887,
on Huron street, now Hobart, and
resided there for nearly 18 years
thereafter. During the early 90s
he attended a meeting of the neigh
bors at|the Castle to urge the WIDEN
ing OF Sixteenth street above
Florida avenue Indeed, the Hen
dersons bought up much of the Six
teenth street property to the north
of their home, and it was often a
familiar sight to see Mrs. Hender-
son in her working clothes, assisted
by her hired man, planting shrub
berry at attractive points, and plan
ming for the erection of mansions
where shacks only recently had
stood.
Park Cost $4,000
But Mrs. Henderson did not give
to the District, nor to the United
States, the Meridian Hill Park, as
many seem to believe, though she
undoubtedly had much to do with
lobbying the bill through Congress
AS matter of fact, for the pur-
chase of this park area of approx
imately $4,000 square feet, Congress
appropriated s490,00o in 1910. one
half Of which was to be paid out
of the revenues of the District gov
ernment > ..
Regarding the part played by Sem
ator Henderson in the impeac chment
proceedings of Andrew johnson,
there seems to be little to base q
conclusion on the statement that
Henderson's vote was the one that
saved President johnson from be-
ing convicted, according to the
articles Of impeachment, when IS
Senators voted guilty" and 10 mot
guilty."
AS to Meridian Hill, there is sub
stantially no history connected with
this area prior to 1915, when Comdr
David Porter, U. 8. N, purchased it
from Washington Bowie, who OBJ
tanned title from Robert Peter. jr.
who inherited 1t from his father
The price paid for the tract of land
was $4,000.
/ On the brow of the hill at about
the center OF Sixteenth street
Comdr. Porter erected a handsome
residence from plans drawn by
George Hadfield, designer of our
Courthouse and other structures
in and around Washington.
Story of Meridian Hill
Admiral David D. Porter, son Of
the commodore, in his Memoir OF
Commodore Porter" says the tract
Of land purchased by the commo-
dore consisted of 157 acres, though
ITO acres is probably correct. How
ever, what the admiral tells us about
this area is interesting reading.
He says:
Considerable prize money had
fallen to the lot Of Rodgers, Decatur
and Porter and they determined to
build residences In the District Of
Columbia. Comdr. Porter, accord