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.