Henderson Hall (Arlington, Virginia)
| Henderson Hall | |
|---|---|
| Arlington, Virginia | |
 |
|
| Coordinates | 38°52′08″N 77°04′22″W / 38.868812°N 77.072648°WCoordinates: 38°52′08″N 77°04′22″W / 38.868812°N 77.072648°W |
| Type | Military base |
| Site history | |
| Built | Purchased in 1942 |
| In use | World War II – present |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
Colonel Andrew M. Regan (July 2015 – present) |
| Garrison | Headquarters Battalion, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps |
Henderson Hall is a military installation of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) located in Arlington County, Virginia, near the Pentagon, on the southern edge of the Arlington National Cemetery and next to Fort Myer. Currently, it is part of Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall. Henderson Hall is named for Brevet Brigadier General Archibald Henderson, the fifth and longest-serving Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Most of the land occupied by Henderson Hall was originally owned by the Syphax family. Maria Custis Syphax, the matriarch of the family, was the mulatto daughter of George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of Martha Washington and founder of the Arlington Estate on the banks of the Potomac River (later the home of Robert E. Lee). 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 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.
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, eminent domain, 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, 23 acres (93,000 m2) were acquired, and athletic fields, a bowling alley, chapel, firing range, gas station, gym, hobby shop, officers' and enlisted men's clubs, post exchange, post office, radio station, supply depot, and swimming pool were all built on the site.
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