diff --git a/docx/__init__.py b/docx/__init__.py
index 1bba46ad5..8489f8730 100644
--- a/docx/__init__.py
+++ b/docx/__init__.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from docx.parts.image import ImagePart
 from docx.parts.numbering import NumberingPart
 from docx.parts.styles import StylesPart
+from docx.parts.header import HeaderPart
 
 
 def part_class_selector(content_type, reltype):
@@ -26,5 +27,6 @@ def part_class_selector(content_type, reltype):
 PartFactory.part_type_for[CT.WML_DOCUMENT_MAIN] = DocumentPart
 PartFactory.part_type_for[CT.WML_NUMBERING] = NumberingPart
 PartFactory.part_type_for[CT.WML_STYLES] = StylesPart
+PartFactory.part_type_for[CT.WML_HEADER] = HeaderPart
 
 del CT, DocumentPart, PartFactory, part_class_selector
diff --git a/docx/api.py b/docx/api.py
index 7d268af8b..2183e9569 100644
--- a/docx/api.py
+++ b/docx/api.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from docx.package import Package
 from docx.parts.numbering import NumberingPart
 from docx.parts.styles import StylesPart
+from docx.parts.header import HeaderPart
 from docx.shared import lazyproperty
 
 
@@ -177,6 +178,22 @@ def styles_part(self):
             self._document_part.relate_to(styles_part, RT.STYLES)
             return styles_part
 
+        @lazyproperty
+    def header_part(self, section=None):
+        """
+        Instance of |HeaderPart| for this document. Takes a section argument.
+        If none is passed, assumes default (sentinel) Section.
+        Creates an empty header part if one is not present.
+        """
+        if not section:
+            section = self.sections()[0]
+        try:
+            return self._document_part.part_related_by(RT.HEADER)
+        except KeyError:
+            header_part = HeaderPart.new()
+            self._document_part.relate_to(header_part, RT.HEADER)
+            return header_part
+
     @property
     def tables(self):
         """
diff --git a/docx/oxml/parts/__init__.py b/docx/oxml/parts/__init__.py
index e69de29bb..40a96afc6 100644
--- a/docx/oxml/parts/__init__.py
+++ b/docx/oxml/parts/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
diff --git a/docx/oxml/parts/header.py b/docx/oxml/parts/header.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..658143405
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docx/oxml/parts/header.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
+"""
+Custom element classes related to the header part
+"""
+
+from docx.oxml.shared import nsmap, OxmlBaseElement, qn
+
+
+class CT_Header(OxmlBaseElement):
+    """
+    A ``<w:hdr>`` element, representing a header definition
+    """
+    @property
+    def pPr(self):
+        return self.find(qn('w:pPr'))
+
+
+    def header_having_headerId(self, headerId):
+        """
+        Return the ``<w:hdr>`` child element having ``headerId`` attribute
+        matching *headerId*.
+        """
+        xpath = './w:hdr[@w:hdrId="%s"]' % headerId
+        try:
+            return self.xpath(xpath, namespaces=nsmap)[0]
+        except IndexError:
+            raise KeyError('no <w:style> element with hdrId %d' % headerId)
+
+    @property
+    def header_lst(self):
+        """
+        List of <w:hdr> child elements.
+        """
+        return self.findall(qn('w:hdr'))
+
+    @classmethod
+    def new(cls, hdr_id, abstractHdr_id):
+        """
+        Return a new ``<w:hdr>`` element having numId of *num_id* and having
+        a ``<w:abstractNumId>`` child with val attribute set to
+        *abstractNum_id*.
+        """
+        header = OxmlElement('w:hdr')
+        header.hdrId = hdr_id
+        abstractHdrId = CT_DecimalNumber.new(
+            'w:abstractHdrId', abstractHdr_id
+        )
+        nhdr.append(abstractHdrId)
+        return header
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docx/parts/header.py b/docx/parts/header.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82844e4fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docx/parts/header.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# encoding: utf-8
+
+"""
+Provides HeaderPart and related objects
+"""
+
+from __future__ import (
+    absolute_import, division, print_function, unicode_literals
+)
+
+from ..opc.package import Part
+from ..oxml.shared import oxml_fromstring
+from ..shared import lazyproperty
+
+
+class HeaderPart(Part):
+    """
+    Proxy for the styles.xml part containing style definitions for a document
+    or glossary.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, partname, content_type, element, package):
+        super(HeaderPart, self).__init__(
+            partname, content_type, element=element, package=package
+        )
+
+    @classmethod
+    def load(cls, partname, content_type, blob, package):
+        """
+        Provides PartFactory interface for loading a styles part from a WML
+        package.
+        """
+        styles_elm = oxml_fromstring(blob)
+        styles_part = cls(partname, content_type, styles_elm, package)
+        return styles_part
+
+    @classmethod
+    def new(cls):
+        """
+        Return newly created empty header part, containing only the root
+        ``<w:hdr>`` element.
+        """
+        # call oxml class method CT_Header.new()
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @lazyproperty
+    def header(self):
+        """
+        The |_Header| instance containing the header (<w:hdr> element
+        proxies) for this header part.
+        """
+        return _Header(self._element)
+
+
+class _Header(object):
+    """
+    FIX THIS >>> Collection of |_Header| instances corresponding to the ``<w:hdr>``
+    elements in a header part.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, header_elm):
+        super(_Header, self).__init__()
+        self._header_elm = header_elm
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        return len(self._styles_elm.header_lst)
\ No newline at end of file