Meridian Hall
Meridian Hall was commissioned by Mary Foote Henderson to be used as an embassy.
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Meridian Hall, like several other mansions in the Meridian Hill Historic District, was commissioned by Mary Foote Henderson, who was the guiding force behind the development of the area as an enclave of embassies and mansions. She advocated for the area to feature statues of Presidents and even offered some of her property to be used as the Vice Presidential residence. Though these offers were declined, Mrs. Henderson's influence is visible throughout the neighborhood, particularly in the large mansions like Meridian Hall. Meridian Hall did briefly serve as an Embassy as intended but has also served as a school, boarding house, and law firm offices.
Henderson commissioned the work of all of her mansions to one of the city's leading Beaux Arts architects, George Oakley Totten, Jr. Totten designed Meridian Hall, and it was built in 1923. It is a Tudor Revival mansion with a facade evocative of an English manor house. The interior has a grand central staircase, salons, a ballroom, and a dining hall ornamented in Tudor classical style.
DC Inventory: December 19, 1990
National Register: January 28, 1991
