March 2022 – Page 2 – Truxton Is In Shaw

WSIC- Square 617- A visual

In my last post about the Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) and Square 617 (bounded by 1st, N, North Cap, and O Streets NW) I said the architecture looked annoying. Take a look at the entryway below.

Note the stairs in the photo (0617 0225). The original iron stairs were replaced by brick and there doesn’t seem to be a clear line in the brick.

This works when the owner owns both buildings. This can cause all sorts of headaches when there are two different owners, with different attitudes about maintenance and repairs.

Please forgive me, I am not an architect and have very little interest in focusing on the architecture of Truxton Circle, because that just leads to the Great Satan that is historic districting. But WSIC buildings in the TC have distinctive bays. In the case of the O Street buildings, I think what I am seeing is a bay with adjacent entryways.

For 14 O St NW, this is fine.

It doesn’t have an entryway close to another unit’s entry. In the photo above, taken in 2004, it appears 14 O St NW was two units. Even the second unit is not too close to the neighboring house’s entry.

1957 Church Survey: Paramount Baptist Church – rando church not in Shaw

In 1957 there was as survey of churches in the Northwest Urban Renewal Area, which included Shaw, Downtown, and the area around Union Station (Swampoodle). One of the churches was Paramount Baptist Church at 723 1st St NW. To learn more about the 1957 Church Survey read my previous posts, The Uniqueness of the 1957 Church Survey and Church Survey Northwest Urban Renewal Area October 1957.

Currently there is a Paramount Baptist Church in SE DC, and according to their church history, they purchased 723 1st St NW, in 1954 and they paid the mortgage in 1957. They have this in their history:

The church conformed to the specifications of the Redeveloping and Land Agency Act in 1964 that we must vacate the space for the area was being redeveloped.

Not sure what that means. But I do know that that address is now a parking lot. [Mari starts humming Big Yellow Taxi]

They didn’t provide much of any information for the Church Survey. So here it is:

CS 9 Paramount Baptist by Mm Inshaw

WSIC-Square 617

In the last Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) post I searched the DC Recorder of Deeds for any other properties in Truxton Circle they may have owned besides the ones on Squares 552 and 615. I discovered Sq. 617.

On Square 617, they owned lots 169 to 183.

617-LC-1909

So that would be 14-42 O St NW.

This is 14 O St NW. Note the difference in lot number. It was lot 183 100 years ago.

This is 42 O St NW.

I’m noticing a particular building style here, but it looks irritating.

1957 Church Survey: St Stephans Baptist -church in Mt Vernon Sq

In 1957 there was as survey of churches in the Northwest Urban Renewal Area, which included Shaw, Downtown, Mt. Vernon Square and the area around Union Station. To learn more about the 1957 Church Survey read my previous posts, The Uniqueness of the 1957 Church Survey and Church Survey Northwest Urban Renewal Area October 1957.

photo of property

Well this is currently owned by the United House of Prayer, or UHOP. Before it was St. Stephans Baptist it was Peoples Congregational Church. St. Stephans Baptist Church is currently in Temple Hills, MD.

Let’s take a quick look at the survey for St. Stephans Baptist. It was an African American church with a large unskilled labor congregation. It is located at 628 M St NW in Mt. Vernon Square.

CS 17 St Stephans Baptist by Mm Inshaw

WSIC-What Else In the TC They Owned

Just to cover my bases I’m going to check the Recorder of Deeds and see what else the Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) owned around here.

This image is deceptive.

There were more than 7 properties.

Let’s look at the earliest document, document #192402020030 a release, which means a debt was paid. It is dated February 2, 1924 and John B. Larner, surviving trustee, is the grantor, the one who held the debt. WSIC, along with the Washington Loan and Trust Company, George H. Harris, George M. Kober and George M. Sternberg, were the grantees, the ones who paid the debt. The document were for a whole list of properties on Square 509, which is juuuuust outside of Truxton Circle. They were for lots 170-181.

The next document was #1931017623 a 1931 deed. It is for one property, Square 552 lot 25 in Truxton Circle. Today it would be several properties with some facing the 100 blocks of Q and Bates Streets NW. But Sq. 552 has been covered and will get covered going forward, so I’ll move on.

552-LC-1903

Next are two 1947 deeds, document #1947005806 for Sq. 5867 and lots 3 and 868, and doc #1947005805 for about 37 lots on that same square. No clue where that is, besides east of the river in Southeast. Poking around it appears that square no longer exists.

In 1950 it appears WSIC sold properties in documents 1950024326 and 1950024327. These were lots on Squares 245, 4048, 4052, 509, E0546, 552, 615, 617, 651, 654, and 674. There were three TC squares in there and they were 552, 615, and 617.

Okay next time, we will look at Square 617 in addition to 552 and 615.