Amanda remarried William Cicero Grant, who was instrumental in the early education of Henry and his older brother James.
George D. Mason originally started his architectural career with Smith’s new firm in an effort to learn to design cornices from him, but that only lasted a summer.
Henry’s firm must have initially struggled, either from the split with Smith, or the ongoing economic depression, seeing that Mason worked for nine months there without pay.
On July 15, 1879, at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, after lunch with his family, he proceeded up to his workroom in his house on 157 Wayne Street in downtown Detroit.
[7][8] Charlotte married Henry's last business partner John M. Donaldson in 1882 and the two raised Fredrick as well as two children of their own, Alexander and Bruce.