Ever wonder what that piece of stone castle wall at 16th and Florida is about? How did such a grandiose park called Meridian Hill develop? Did you know that Meridian Hill was once a wealthy enclave of wealthy statesmen and foreign emissaries (keep your eyes peeled for the mansions that remain along 16th and 15th Streets around the Park that mingle with apartment buildings)? If so, or if your interest has been peeked, come see architectural historian Kimberly Prothro Williams present the history of the Meridian Hill Neighborhood.
Date: Monday, April 4th
Time: 7-9pm
Location: The Community Room in View 14 (2303 14th St NW)
Architectural Historian Kimberly Prothro Williams will speak about the development of Meridian Hill, a prestigious neighborhood of private residences and foreign legations that was the brainchild of Mrs. Mary F. Henderson and her husband, Senator John Henderson. Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing for several decades, the indefatigable Mrs. Henderson campaigned for and financed the construction of the area’s grand mansions and foreign legations, transforming the area from a rugged and under-developed post-Civil War settlement into an impressive gateway to the nation’s capital.
Ms. William’s lecture will discuss the neighborhood’s history prior to the arrival of Mrs. Henderson, tracing its development roots to the early 19th century, and its post-Civil War subdivision as Meridian Hill. It will then detail the Henderson’s successful Congressional lobbying efforts to purchase a three-block tract of land on Meridian Hill to build the formidable European-style Meridian Hill Park that became the framework around which she and her husband created a socially prominent enclave of wealthy statesmen and foreign emissaries.
The talk will showcase how the rise of Meridian Hill as an elite enclave in the early 20th century greatly enhanced the desirability of 16th Street. Apartment building developers capitalized upon the “exclusive” nature of Meridian Hill and began to build luxury apartment buildings along both 15th and 16th Streets, across from and north of Meridian Hill Park.
The presentation will illustrate the collection of mansions of exceptional architectural value largely built between 1905 and 1928 that reflect the eclecticism of the Beaux Arts style of architecture. In particular, the area includes eight of twelve embassies built through the collaborative effort of Mrs. Henderson and notable D.C. architect George Oakley Totten, Jr. as well as other private mansions commissioned by some of the city’s most socially prominent individuals.
Mrs. Williams will then present the boundaries of a proposed Meridian Hill Historic District and the process for pursuing such designation.