The Henderson Brothers firm was established in New York City in the mid-1890s, becoming one of the largest studios in operation embellishing the buildings of the most prominent architects until it closed in 1939. Their workcan still be appreciated in building from Massachusetts south to North Carolina, and west to Illinois. Yale, Princeton, and West Point and many commercial locations have surviving Henderson Brothers work.

William Henderson's adopted son Ernest Henderson grew up in the shop and was an accomplished worker by the age of ten. He eventually worked for several other firms including Tiffany Glass and decorating, Erkins Studios, and Pittsburgh Plate Glass before embarking on a fifty-year career as a solo stained glassman. He passed his love for the trade on to his son gordon. Gordon Henderson sat on the workbenches in his father's studio absorbing the trade from the age of six. In 1946 he entered the trade full-time with his father and the partnership E. Henderson & Son was established. He became a solo stained glassman in 1966 working continuously in the trade until his death in 2010. Among his prominent projects was the restoration of the Henry Holiday window now set in the library entrance at Drew University.

The Henderson family is notable for their many contributions to the trade of stained glass, the remarkable fact that three generations worked in the field, and their significant associations with artists, architects, and patrons. Gordon Henderson's goal to preserve the memories and work of the old-time glassmen is carried forward in this project. The fortunate preservation and recovery of family records by Ernest and Gordon Henderson make possible this addition to the historiography of the American stained glass trade.