Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Alvin and Edna Jackson- 1630 4th St NW

I’m looking at the history of the ownership of Alvin and Edna Jackson and saying, “Well, that didn’t last long.”

Here’s the short history of their ownership:

An African American clerk/messenger for what appears to have been an early version of Pepco named Alvin Lee Jackson and his wife, bought 1630 4th St NW in November 1949. So when the 1950 census rolled around, they were recorded as living there with their son Alvin L. Jackson Jr, and brand new baby daughter, Caroline born in February. They borrowed $3,000 from the Washington Housing Corporation, which had owned the house prior to transferring it to the seller, Ida P. Sheppard. The interest was 6%, which was normal then. But in 1955 they lost the home to foreclosure.

Unfortunately, Jackson is one of those common names but I have figured that the husband was Alvin Lee Jackson Sr. and Edna was formerly Edna Wise. Strangely, there were several Alvin Lee Jacksons and tons of Alvin Jacksons in the US at the time, including a baseball player.  I’m discovering the homeowners appearing in the 1950 census are a little harder to locate information about.