Category: History

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 230 Bates Street NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 230 Bates Street NW to Joseph and Frances L. Jackson.
• January 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $7,050 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• March 1952 the Jacksons sold the house back to Evans, Levin and Taube. (Released from mortgage May 1962)
• May 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 230 Bates St NW to Leroy and Bernice L. Fennell.
• May 1952 the Fennells borrowed $3,882.29 from Weightman and Levin.
• June 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half to Booker T. Baird, Booker T. Henderson, and Trueolla Q. Henderson.
• June 1952 Baird and the Henderson borrowed $3,898.38 from Weightman and Levin.
• August 1952 the Fennells sold their half back to Evans, Levin, and Taube. (Released from loan January 1953)
• September 1952 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold that half to Martha Lee and Thornton James Leathers.
• September 1952 the Leathers borrowed $4,097.06 from lenders Levin and Weightman.
• July 1957 Booker T. Henderson removed his wife’s name from the deed.
• November 1961 the Leathers lost their half of 230 Bates St NW to foreclosure. Evans, Taube and Levin’s survivors regained the property via an auction.
• November 1961, as part of a larger property package, new partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold 230 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• December 1963 Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold 230 Bates to George Basiliko. Was this the Henderson half? Not sure what happened to Booker T. Henderson.
• Sometime between 1971 and 1980 Basiliko sold/transferred the property to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.
• June 1980, as part of a larger property package, the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) sold the property to BSA Limited Partnership.

This was a confusing property, getting sold and resold several times. It was sold as a whole. It was sold in parts. The sole lender for most regular buyers was Weightman and Levin. It eventually wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and the RLA.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 1513 3rd St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded March 20, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold 1513 3rd St NW to Lillian and George Shaw.
• December 1950 (recorded March 20, 1951) the Shaws borrowed $7,000 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1953 the Shaws sold half of 1513 3rd St NW to Mary Belle and Arthur Butler Jr.
• June 1953 the Butlers borrowed $3,542 and $635.00 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1953 the Shaws took out another loan from Levin and Weightman for $3,451.45.
• September 1953 the Shaws sold their half to Minnie and Renaldo Jackson.
• September 1953 the Jacksons borrowed $718.69 from Levin and Weightman at 6%.
• August 1954, the Shaws failed to pay back their June 1953 and Levin and Weightman foreclosed on… which half of 1513 3rd St? It appears the Jacksons lost their home and it was returned to the Colonial Investors, Evans, Levin and Taube.
• November 1961 new Colonial Investors partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, the Nathan Levin survivors and their spouses sold half of 1513 3rd St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• December 1969 the Butlers signed a covenant that looks like a loan. The covenant was with the City Finance Company of Bethesda for $1,476.
• December 1971 the Butlers were released from one of their June 1953 loans with Weightman and Levin.
• March 1972 the Butlers were released from their other June 1953 loans with Weightman and Levin.
• February 1977 the Basilikos sell their half of the property to the Butlers, bringing the home under one owner.

Happy ending here as I see the Butler family are still listed as the owners.  This is a rarity.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 211 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 211 P NW to Leon Carter and Jordan Lewis.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Carter and Lewis borrowed $3,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• February 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 211 P St NW to Alfred and Josephine Sherman.
• February 1951 the Shermans borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• May 1951 Carter and Jordan sold their half to Jordan Massie.
• July 1952 Carter and Jordan and logically Massie, lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• August 1952 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the foreclosed half of 211 P St NW to Dealman G. and Mildred Lee.
• August 1952 the Lees borrowed $3,999.54 from Weightman and Levin.
• June 1953 the Shermans sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
• August 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold half of 211 P St NW to Leon and Rachel H. Gaither.
• August 1953 the Gaithers borrowed $4,060.15 from Weightman and Levin (released June 1954).
• November 1955 the Gaithers lost their home to foreclosure and property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• April 1961 the Lees sold their half to Evans, Taube, and the Levin survivors.
• November 1961 Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors, and the Badts, as part of a larger property package, sold 211 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1971 and 1980 the Basilikos, as part of a larger package probably, sold the property to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• June 1980 as part of a larger property package, the RLA sold the property to the BSA Limited Partnership.

This followed the unfortunate WSIC story where half of the property was sold to several families and there were a couple of foreclosures. It eventually fell into the hands of George Basiliko and the DC RLA.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 209 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 209 P St NW to Happer and Levie Herring.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Herrings borrowed $3,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 209 P St NW to Frances H. Bullock and Rhayford Meyer.
• Jan 1951 Bullock and Meyer borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• October 1955 Happer and Leuie Herring sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
• September 1959 Bullock and Meyer lost their half to foreclosure. New partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, and Taube regained the property via an auction.
• September 1959 Harry and his wife Jennie Badt transferred/sold their interest in the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin as part of a larger property package.
• November 1961, as part of a large property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold their interest in 209 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• May 1962 the Herrings were released from their mortgage.
• Between 1971 and 1978 Basiliko sold/transferred the property to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• August 1978 the RLA sold/transferred the property to the Bates Street Associates Inc. as part of a larger property package.

Let’s get out the WSIC bingo card. Halves of one property sold to two separate households, check. The sole lenders were Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman, check. Foreclosure, check. Sold to George Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA? Check. Then sold to a private partner, check.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 213 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 213 P St NW to Silas Brown.
• January 1951 Brown borrowed $6,000 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1952 Silas and his wife Viola Cecilia Brown sold the other half of 213 P St NW to Charles Williams.
• June 1952 Williams borrowed $994.43 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1952 the Browns sold the other half of 213 P St NW to Luella Leach.
• June 1952 Ms. Leach borrowed $1,544.43 from a different set of trustees, Carl D. Coleman and Walter Washington. I wonder if it was THE Walter Washington, former mayor of DC.

Now for some reason that is a mystery to me there is a June 1959 document (#1959024641) selling half of 213 P St to Sophia and George Basiliko by Evans, Taube, new partner Harry A. Badt, their wives and the survivors of Nathan Levin, as part of a large property deal.

• December 1961 Silas Brown legally lost his portion of the property to foreclosure and via an auction it fell into the hands of Evans, Taube and Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• December 1961 Evans, Taube, their wives and the Levin survivors sold half of 213 P to Charles Williams. I’m not sure why this is necessary, because he already owned it.
• December 1961 (same day) Evans, Taube, their wives and the Levin survivors sold the other half of 213 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko. Which they did before in 1959.
• June 1964, Charles Williams sold his half to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1973 and 1979 George Basiliko sold the property to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• August 1979-ish DC RLA sold the property to Bates Street Associates Inc.

There is so much messed up with this property and the documents that don’t make sense, I will just stop here and not make any conclusions.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) was a late 19th century charitable capitalism experiment that ended in the 1950s. This blog started looking at the homes that were supposed to be sold to African American home buyers, after decades of mainly renting to white tenants.

Looking at WSIC properties they tend to have a pattern where the properties were sold to a three business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans as the Colonial Investment Co. for $3 million dollars. Those partners sold to African American buyers. There was usually a foreclosure. Then the property wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and or the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA). Then there was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 221 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 221 P NW to Lent L. Hunter.
• January 1951 Lent Hunter borrowed $3,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 221 P St NW to Catherine B. and Orville L. Jackson.
• June 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• September 1955 Mr. Hunter lost his half to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained the property via an auction.
• June 1959 new partner Harry A. Badt, his wife, Taube. Evans, their wives, and Nathan Levin’s survivors sold their half of the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• February 1964, the Jacksons borrowed $3,415 from United Mortgage Company Inc.
• November 1966, the Jacksons were released from their June 1951 mortgage.
• January 1975, George Basiliko sold the other half of the property to the Jacksons, thus bringing the property under the ownership of one household.

I’m going to end it there. Despite being sold as two halves, a foreclosure, and being sold to George Basiliko, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson managed to get the whole house. As far as I can tell the house remained in the Jackson family until 2001.