Henderson Hall is a

military installation A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and Military operation, operations. A military base always provides ...

of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

(USMC) located in

Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

, near

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...

, on the southern edge of the

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

and next to

Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army Military base, post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and ...

. Currently, it is part of

Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall is a joint base of the United States Armed Forces, located across multiple sites in the Washington metropolitan area, National Capital Region. It is jointly made up of Fort Myer (in Arlington, Virginia, Arlington ...

. Henderson Hall is named for Brevet Brigadier General Archibald Henderson, the fifth and longest-serving Commandant of the Marine Corps.

History of Henderson Hall

Most of the land occupied by Henderson Hall was originally owned by the Custis family and later the Syphax family.Scannell, Nancy. "In the Market for a Mausoleum?" ''Washington Post''. August 2, 1984.Stark, George. "The History of the Abbey Mausoleum." ''Henderson Hall News''. January 19, 2001.
Accessed 2013-11-06. Maria Carter Syphax, the matriarch of the Syphax family, was rumored to be the

mulatto ( , ) is a Race (human categorization), racial classification that refers to people of mixed Sub-Saharan African, African and Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the ...

daughter of George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, 1731 Old Style, O.S. – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the ...

and founder of the Arlington Estate on the banks of the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

(later the home of

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

). The Spyhax family sold the land to John Dormoyle in 1901, who then sold it to Frederick Rice in 1924. Much of the rest of the land beneath Henderson Hall was part of the Arlington Estate as well. In 1941, the federal government built a temporary warehouse on this land, calling it Federal Office Building No. 2. It quickly was converted into office space for use by the U.S. Navy, and informally renamed the Navy Annex.Frantom, Todd. "Navy Annex Cornerstone Removal Begins Historical Building Demolition." Navy News Service. January 20, 2012.
Accessed 2013-11-08. The USMC headquarters moved to the Navy Annex in November 1941. A Headquarters and Service Company was organized on March 1, 1942, and a Women Marine Company (part of the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve) organized as part of the headquarters unit on April 1, 1943. To house both companies, the Marine Corps began acquiring, through purchase,

easement An easement is a Nonpossessory interest in land, nonpossessory right to use or enter onto the real property of another without possessing it. It is "best typified in the right of way which one landowner, A, may enjoy over the land of another, B" ...

eminent domain Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...

, and other means, property to the west and northwest of the Navy Annex Building. This included most of the Syphax land, except for that already purchased by Abbey Mausoleum. Henderson Hall was built on this property in September 1943 to house both companies. All told, were acquired, and athletic fields, a

bowling alley A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

firing range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, sports venue, venue, or playing field, field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice, or shooting sport, competitions. ...

, gas station,

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

hobby A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other ...

shop, officers' and enlisted men's

clubs Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Club (magazine), ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands a ...

, post exchange,

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

, supply depot, and

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...

were all built on the site.''2013 Guide to MCSS Henderson Hall''. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Marine Corps, 2013, p. 5.
Accessed 2013-11-07. The Women's Reserve was released from active duty in August 1946, and the women's barracks at Henderson Hall renovated into billeting space for male Marines. Land acquisition ended in 1952, and on February 1, 1954, the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

executed a document ceding political jurisdiction over the land to the U.S. federal government.

About Henderson Hall today

Covering of land,''Environmental Assessment for the Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plan for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall''. Directorate of Environmental Management. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. March 2011, p. 8-9.
Accessed 2013-11-08. Henderson Hall is home to the USMC headquarters company unit and associated educational facilities. Since 2009, Henderson Hall is jointly managed by the Marine Corps and the Army as Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall. The management of Marine Corps Community Services programs and facilities lies with Headquarters & Service Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps, Henderson Hall. Little at Henderson Hall is historic. All 19th and early 20th century buildings were demolished during its construction, and grading and construction at the site have destroyed whatever archaeological artifacts might have existed. Nearly all the buildings on the campus today are from the late 20th century.

References

External links

Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) Henderson Hall
{{DCMB United States Marine Corps bases Military installations in Virginia Buildings and structures in Arlington County, Virginia

History of Henderson Hall

About Henderson Hall today

See also

References

External links