Month: April 2007

I have an old house

I found out that my house was built sometime between 1871 and 1873, somewhere in there. Because of the tax assessment for my house did not show up in the 1869-71 assessment, but big as day in the 1872-1873 assessment as a brick house worth $1000. These assessments are located on microfilm at the MLK library in the Washingtonia division. Well at least the 1874ish one. 1860something to whenever in the 19th Century is located at the National Archives downtown, record group 351, entry 49 (or 46, 40something, I forget). I don’t know if the Washington, DC Historic Society has it too.
If you are going to look at property assessments know your square number and your lot number by heart. It also helps to know around about what time your lot existed. My block in the late 18th century was subdivided into 6 to 8 lots. In the late 19th century it was divided further and my lot became into existence.

Renovation 2007: So I have a crap house


The contractor is concerned about the party walls. I’m not too keen on them either, as it seems I could remove the mortar with a toothbrush it’s so sandy. The walls won’t be a problem he guessed in the next 20-30 years. But after that, who knows. How the heck do you fix a wall you share?
I really don’t believe this house was built that well to start with. There have been a couple of problems I found that I’m not sharing on the blog, for various reasons, that relate to the fact that mine was built for poor laborers by a single landlord. There were shortcuts made evident when walls were exposed. There are other things that make me wonder if the 1870ish landlord got these houses built fast and cheap.

Bates (BACA) Walking club to start

Neighbors,

At the last meeting of the Bates Area Civic Association, Inc., the Program Committee introduced the idea of forming a Walking Club in the neighborhood. As stated by Program Committee Chairperson Geovani Bonilla, the club will provide an interesting opportunity for residents to get to know one another, to get some exercise, as well as to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of our community while on these walks.

At this point, we would like to have a critical mass of 10 persons to begin this program. So, if you’re interested please contact Geovani at the telephone number and/or email address below to sign up. Whatever your personal decision, please know that I have contacted Geovani to express my desire to join the club and I pray that we can get a minimum of nine others to do likewise.

Best,

Jim Berry
Bates Area Civic Association, Inc.

*************
Improve Your Health and Our Neighborhood

“Walking Club” Will Meet Every Tuesday and Thursday

from 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Beginning May 8, 2007

Meeting Place: Corner of 3rd and Q, NW

In front of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church

Walk north 3rd ST to Florida Avenue , (stretch at the park) and go east to N. Capitol ST, South to O ST, West to First ST, North to P ST and West to NJ, North to Q ST and back to the starting point

You will receive a complimentary exercise bands and pedometer compliments of Kaiser Permanente.

For more information contact Geovani Bonilla (202) 483-1446

mrgeovani[at]aol.com

Renovation 2007: Shock & OMG

On an intellectual level I knew he was going to take out the walls and investigate what was up with my house. I was not prepared on an emotional level for what I saw. Now the contractor was as giddy as a schoolgirl and very proud of the work done, when showing me the results. Work, that seems to me went a little, ok very overboard.
Weren’t we keeping the plaster, and that other thing, and what the hell did you do with my ceiling?
On an intellectual level I see the importance of taking out the drywall of a wall. A wall that was hiding the fact that the upper portion of my stairs were not supported by anything. Sort of like the hole in the wall that wasn’t supported. You can see the hole, or better the chunk of wall ready to fall through the floor, in the back of the room near the doorway. There was other crap hidden under stuff, like the bathroom floor was near rotted.
On an emotional level. Different story. Which is why my renovation eye-witness may be spotty in the future. What I felt standing alone in a gutted room I was not prepared for the weight of all that just happened and what is to be, sinking in. That and the sound of the wall chunk shifting.
I just don’t want to see my house until it is in a more hopeful state. I don’t think I want to even go near it, but I have to because the mail forwarding hasn’t kicked in yet.

Renovation 2007: Morality and floors

Well I was planning on a whole angst-ridden piece about what kind of floors I was looking to put in for Friday’s posting. The problem or the source of angst was one of the moral quandaries I had with my choice of flooring. I thought I was being all good and wonderful by choosing bamboo flooring. Then I read a Treehugger article about how bamboo is filled with formaldehyde, made under poor working conditions, isn’t local and thus requires a fair amount energy to get to the East coast, etc, etc, etc. And despite my desire to do right and and go for the more expensive cleaner (working conditions, older farms that don’t deforest, etc) bamboo flooring, I just can’t afford it. And there is a lot I can’t afford, where doing the right thing just falls to the wayside because simply put, I don’t have the money for it, particularly when crap like the hole in the wall appears, sucking money from one thing to fix this other thing. Good Lord knows what else I may find that is a budget killer.
Well the floors may be a non-issue. Apparently, I have some heart pine floors. Heart pine, that can be kept, buffed up and made nice. Maybe. It was a small portion of the floor. When the whole of the floor has been revealed, then maybe, hopefully, keep your fingers crossed & pray, the whole thing will be worth saving and I don’t have to worry about bamboo floors. If not, maybe maple from the USA.

Fun with ProQuest: Black middle class tries to help

From “D.C. Frontiers, Inner-City Renewal Project, Will Open Soon: Inner-City Renewal Housing Project to Open Soon” by John Saar, Washington Post, 8/13/1973 pC1
Quick abstract: Black businessmen and other AfAm professionals in the form of non-profit DC Frontiers Inc, build, at a financial loss several (and after sever set backs) townhomes at 14th & S, 11th & M, & 11th & N for low income families.

You can still walk by those townhouses today and after 30 some odd years you could say that the project was a success. In the article there was expressed concern that the surrounding decay would undermine the goals of the project. There was a problem with theft while the building was getting built, some snafus that added to construction expenses and there was this inflation thing going on in the 70s. Despite all that the buildings got built stable families got in them and they survived the Crack Barry years and the gentrification.

According to the article, DC Frontiers Inc was more successful than RLA (Redevelopment Land Agency). The difference between the two (besides one being smaller and non-govt) was DC Frontiers aimed for low density and homeownership whereas RLA was high density and rentals, which would be “recreating the old ghetto conditions.” The Frontiers houses aimed for something the high rise apartments for poor families wouldn’t have, a living room for the parents, play room for the children, a small yard, space for living.

The black middle class I write of were doctors, lawyers, Realtors and such who sponsored the construction costs of building the houses. They wanted to do something to help rebuild the area and they did by offering an alternative. As I mentioned RLA was aiming for high density high-rises, which solves the problem of putting roofs over peoples heads, but does little in stabilizing black families and helping them build wealth.

Frontiers sought to ‘reseed’ 14th St NW with families with low but steady incomes who paid their rent on time and turn those families into homeowners. Candidates were chosen by what sounded like the lottery method, and had three years after moving in to decide if they wanted to buy. There was a monetary deposit that in 2007 dollars is $1,604.16 and the option of taking a 25 year mortgage.

Another form of criticism in the article I see aimed at RLA that was a problem then is probably a cause of development problems now (or not, it’s an opinion). RLA costs were ‘unnecessarily’ high because the project bought a lot of commercially zoned land for residential purposes. For you kids who don’t know, commercial lot is way more expensive than residential lot. Both could be the same in every way, one is more expensive. Fast forward to 2007, hey guess what is sitting on the commercial strips of 7th?