Henrietta Gimpert

Henrietta Gimpert (later Belet) was born in Switzerland around 1853.¹ She immigrated to New York City in 1874 and soon found employment in the household of Chester A. Arthur while he worked at the New York Custom House. Contemporary accounts indicate that she was attached to the Arthur household and assisted in caring for Arthur's daughter, Ellen.²

In March 1881, when Arthur became vice president, Gimpert accompanied the Arthur family to Washington, D.C. Later that year, she moved with the family to the White House after Arthur assumed the presidency following James A. Garfield's death in September 1881. Although the details of her duties are not fully documented, she likely continued serving in a role similar to the one she held in New York.³

Little is known about Gimpert’s life after her White House service. She likely remained employed there through the end of Arthur’s presidency in March 1885. After leaving Washington, she returned to New York City, where she worked as a housekeeper. Following her marriage, she assumed the name Henrietta Belet.⁴ She died in 1909 and was buried in Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Blairstown, New Jersey.⁵