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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.
Let’s see what happens with 1537 3rd St NW:
- January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 1537 3rd St NW to Mattie and Walter Quarles.
- January 1951 the Quarles borrowed $7,050 from Colonial Capitol Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
- October 1953 the Quarles lost their home to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
- November 1953, Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 1537 3rd St NW to divorcee Nettie Glover.
- November 1953, Glover borrowed $4,054.64 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
- November 1953, Evans, Levins and Taube sold the other half to Marchel and Vera R. Davis.
- November 1953, Mr. and Mrs. Davis borrowed $4,054.65 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
- November 1955, the Davis family lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
- February 1958, Nettie Glover lost her half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
- February 1958, as part of a larger package, the Badts (Harry & wife Jennie), transferred their interest in 1537 3rd St NW to Levin’s survivors.
- November 1961, as part of a large property package, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors, and the Badts, as part of a larger property package, sold 1537 3rd St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
- July 1970, as part of a very large property package, (document 1970011877) the Basilikos sold 1537 3rd St NW to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
- August 1979, as part of a large property package, DC RLA sold the property to the Bates Street Associates.
Okay, let’s check the WSIC checklist of sadness and doom. Sold half of a house, eventually, check. Foreclosure, check, check and check. Sold to Basilikos who then sold to DC RLA, check and check.