WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 14 O Street NW

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.

photo of property

The history of 14 O Street NW went as so:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 14 O St NW Marguerite and Vincent J. Edmondson.
  • February 1951 the Edmondsons borrowed $3,375 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half of 14 O St NW to Annie W. and William J. Jackson Jr.
  • February 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $3,375 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • 08/03/1956 the Edmondsons sold their half to Mary Dyson Lane.
  • December 1955 (recorded January 1958) the Jacksons sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • February 1960 the Edmondsons were foreclosed upon and the property returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt. Mary Dayson Lane’s name appears in later documents relating to building’s condemnation in 1977.
  • February 1960 (recorded in May) the Badts transferred/sold their interest in 14 O St NW to Levin’s survivors as part of a larger property package.
  • November 1961 Badt, Evan, Taube, their wives (for legal reasons) and the survivors of Levin (and their spouses) sold 14 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko as part of a larger property package.
  • In 1971 George Basiliko sold part(?) 14 O St NW to Housing System Development and Construction Corp as part of a larger property package.
  • April 1978 George Basiliko sold (his remaining interest?) in 14 O St NW to the O Street Properties Partnership.