Month: December 2024

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 201 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 201 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 201 Bates NW to Charles J. and Elizabeth J. Dickerson.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Dickersons borrowed $2,775 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 201 Bates St NW to David L. and Mabel J. Snipes.
  • Dec 1950 the Snipes borrowed $2,775 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • August 1952 the Dickersons lost their half to foreclosure. Through an auction Evans, Levin and Taube repossessed the property.
  • September 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed half to Ernestine Johnson, a widow.
  • Sept 1952 Mrs. Johnson borrowed $3,647.07 from Levin and Weightman.
  • August 1954 Mrs. Johnson lost her half to foreclosure. half to foreclosure. Through an auction Evans, Levin and Taube repossessed the property.
  • November 1961, in a large property package (doc 1962000416), new Colonial partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold 201 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • September 1962 the Snipes sold their half to George Basiliko bringing it under one owner.
  • July 1970, as part of a larger property package (document 1970011877), George Basiko sold 201 Bates St NW to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • 1978-ish the property was sold/transferred to Bates Street Associates, Inc (BSA).

There were two foreclosures for the same half of the house. The property eventually fell under the ownership of George Basiliko who then sold it to the RLA, which then passed it on to the BSA.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 205 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 205 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 205 Bates St NW to Calvin A. and Gladys C. Addison.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Addisons borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 205 Bates St NW to Bertha Bell, a widow, and Rosie L. Fincher, a divorcee.
  • Dec 1950 Bell & Fincher borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1954 Bell & Fincher lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction it returned to the ownership of Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • August 1954 the Addisons lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction it returned to the ownership of Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • March 1959, as part of a larger property package, Evans, the survivors of the late Nathan Levin, Taube and their spouses sold 205 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1970, in document 1970011877, Sophia and George Basiliko sold this and other Truxton Circle properties the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • Prob. 1979-1980 as there is no documentation, it appears DC RLA sold/ transferred the property to the Bates Street Associates (BSA) Limited Partnership.
  • December 1982 the BSA sold the property back to the government of the District of Columbia.

This fits the pattern. There is not just one but two foreclosures of both halves, which are then sold to George Basiliko, who later sells to DC RLA, who then passes it on to BSA who then sells it back to DC.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 207 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 207 Bates St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 207 Bates St NW to Beatrice R. and Edgar P. Harris.
  • Jan 1951 Mr. & Mrs. Harris borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • April 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 207 Bates St NW to Herbeth B. and Robert M. McCray.
  • April 1951 the McCrays borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • March 1962 the McCrays were released from their mortgage.
  • October 1964 Mr. & Mrs. Harris sold their half to George Basiliko.
  • October 1971 Sophia and George Basiliko, along with a divorced Herbeth Brown McCray sold 207 Bates to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) for the sum of $12,000.
  • Prob. 1979-1980 as there is no documentation, it appears DC RLA sold/ transferred the property to the Bates Street Associates (BSA) Limited Partnership.
  • April 1982 the BSA resold the property back to the government of the District of Columbia.

It doesn’t fit the usual pattern, as there was no foreclosure, but it wound up in the hands of George Basiliko, the DC RLA and BSA.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 209 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 209 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold the whole of 209 Bates NW to Blanche L. and Willie J. Kinney.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Kinneys borrowed $5,050 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1952 the Kinneys sold half of the property back to Evans, Levin, and Taube. They refinanced their mortgage with two docs, so they had a new mortgage of $2,646.39.
  • February 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half to Joseph and Mattie Lee Barnes.
  • Feb 1953 the Barnes borrowed $2,776.75 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1954 the Kinneys lost their half to foreclosure and Evans, Levin and Taube regained ownership of that half via an auction.
  • March 1954 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the foreclosed half to Julia Corbett, a widow.
  • March 1954 Mrs. Corbett borrowed $3,170.21 from Levin and Weightman.
  • May 1956 the Barnes sold their half back to the Colonial Investment Co partners, Harry A. Badt who replaced Levin who died, Taube, and Evans. The Barnes were released from their mortgage in 1962.
  • June 1959 Badt, Evans, Taube, the Nathan Levin survivors and their spouses, sold several properties, including 209 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • October 1971 the Basilikos and Mrs. Corbett sold 209 Bates to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency for $12,000.
  • 1979-1980? the property was transferred/sold to the Bates Street Associates (BSA) Limited Partnership.

I’ll stop there because the documentation gets insanely complicated after that. It fits the pattern. There was one foreclosure (and to sell backs) and it wound up in the hands of George Basiliko, who then passed it on to DC RLA who then passed it on to BSA.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 211 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 211 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 211 Bates NW to Malachi and his wife Vancie L. Payne.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Paynes borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 211 Bates St NW to Ernest Bailey.
  • Jan 1951 Bailey borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • March 1953, Ernest Bailey who was reportedly divorced and ex-wife Katherine Lea Bailey sold the property back to Evans, Levin and Taube. He was released from the mortgage in May.
  • June 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the resold half to Julius and Kathleen James.
  • June 1953 the James borrowed $3,274.21 from Levin & Weightman.
  • September 1955 the James lost their half to foreclosure and it returned to the ownership of Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • June 1959 (document # 1959024641) Evans, Taube, new partner Harry A. Badt, Nathan Levin’s survivors, and their spouses sold 211 Bates, as part of a large property package, to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • May 1978 the Paynes sold their half to George Basiliko Inc.
  • August 1978 the Basilikos sold the property in a larger package to the Bates Street Ventures Partnership….. not sure if that is anyway related to the Bates Street Associates (BSA).

There was a foreclosure and property was sold to George Basiliko. It managed to avoid getting sold to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency and the Bates Street Associates…. I think.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 213 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 213 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 213 Bates Street NW to Alice and Calvin Edwards.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) VVVV borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 213 Bates St NW to Jeannette V. Marshall.
  • Dec 1950 Miss Marshall borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1952 the Edwards sold their half to Edward M. Washington.
  • June 1954 Ms. Marshall lost her half to foreclosure and it returned to the possession of Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
  • June 1959 new Colonial Investment Co. partner Harry A. Badt, Evans and Taube, the survivors of Nathan Levin and their spouses sold the foreclosed half of 213 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • August 1959 Edward M. and wife LaVerne Washington sold their half to Colonial Investment Co partners Badt, Evans, and Taube.
  • February 1961 Badt, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold the remaining half to George Basiliko.
  • July 1970 (doc# 1970011877) Basiliko, as part of a large package, sold 213 Bates and many other properties to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • August 1979 ( recorded in document # 7900028039) the DC RLA sold/transferred the property (as part of a larger deal) to Bates Street Associates Limited Partnership (BSA)
  • April 1982 the BSA resold/transferred the property back the to District of Columbia government in document #8200033391.

Another property that fits the pattern. A house divided, there is at least one foreclosure. I am surprised the Washingtons via the Edwards were not foreclosed upon but instead had the ‘option’ to sell the property to the Colonial partners. Then once back in the possession of the partners,  was sold to the Basilikos who then sold it to DC RLA who then passed it on to BSA who then sold it back to the DC government.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 203 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 203 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 203 Bates Street NW to Pearl I. and Samuel B. Pryor.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the  borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half to Louise and Leroy Winters.
  • Dec 1950 the Winters borrowed $2,525 from Levin and Weightman.
  • May 1954 the Pryors sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube and were released from their mortgage a month later.
  • September 1954 the Winters sold their half back to Evans. Levin and Taube and were released from their mortgage March 1959.
  • March 1959 Evans, Taube, the survivors of Nathan Levin and their spouses sold the property, along with several others, to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1970 (doc# 1970011877) Basiliko, as part of a large package, sold 203 Bates and many other properties to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • Probably in 1979 or 1980 (no document located) the DC RLA sold or transferred the property to the Bates Street Associates, Inc (BSA).
  • April 1982 the BSA sold or transferred the property back to the government of the District of Columbia.

I do wonder what were the circumstances that had the buyers selling the property back to the Colonial Investment Company. This fits the later part of the pattern, minus the foreclosures, we have the property going to the Basilikos who then sell it to the city who then pass it on to the BSA.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 62 Bates 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 62 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 62 Bates NW to Elease V. and William A. Canty.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Cantys borrowed $3,025 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 62 Bates St NW to Malinda and Thye W. Cook.
  • Dec 1950 Cooks borrowed $3,025 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1952 the Cantys sold their half to Kathleen M. Fuller.
  • September 1954 the Cantys, and Ms. Fuller, lost their home to foreclosure and through an auction Evans, Levin and Taube regained ownership.
  • September 1954 the Cooks sold the property back to Colonial Investment Co.’s partners Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • March 1959 the Cooks were released from their mortgage.
  • March 1959 the Colonial Investment Co partners and the Levin survivors, in a larger property package, sold their interest in the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.

    62 Bates St 1968
  • 1970, no document located but list of docs hint that Basiliko sold the property to the DC Redevelopment Agency.
  • June 1980 DC RLA entered into a contract (doc # 8000020221) with BSA (Bates Street Associates) and transferred a large number of properties to the venture (doc # 8000020294, signatories on p.5) Bates Street Associates (BSA).

So we have a house fitting the pattern, a foreclosure, sale to George Basiliko, who then sold it to DC RLA who then sold/transferred it to BSA.

1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1711 New Jersey Avenue

1700 Block NJ Ave NW, 1930. Brown= AfAm residents; White= No data

In this series of looking at the odd numbered side of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW from 1920 to 1930, I decided to look at the other end of the block. The change from 1920 to 1930 for most of the block was from white renters to black home owners. My post The sell off of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW pretty much explains the why.photo of property

White Renters

In 1920 the Talbot family rented 1711 NJ Ave NW. It was headed by Samuel C. Talbert, then a bookkeeper, he lived with his wife Mary, and their adult daughters Helen and Edith.

Samuel was born Dec 1863 in Washington, DC to George and Elizabeth Talbert. He married Mary Harriet Tucker (born 1868) in 1889 and they had three daughters: Edith E. (1891), Marie A. (1898), and Helen Louise (1899). in 1900 the family lived at 1617 6th St NW and Samuel was a bookkeeper. In 1910 the family lived at 436 Q St NW and Samuel worked as a manager at an insurance company.

After the Talberts left New Jersey Avenue in 1920, the Talberts were at 712 N St NW. At this point, Samuel was a 66 year old bookkeeper for an ice cream company. He lived with Mary, their adult daughter Edith and her husband, Merle D. Cardd. Mr. & Mrs. Talbert remained renters on N St NW through to the 1940 census. The only difference was that their daughter Edith remained with them after her divorce.

Black Homeowner

October 1920 the ‘developer’ Ms. M. Harvey Chiswell sold 1711 New Jersey Ave NW to Ms. Maria Jones. Jones got a mortgage from trustees W. Wallace Chiswell (M.’s brother) and real estate developer Harry A. Kite. Jones was released from the mortgage August 1926. March 1934 Jones sold the home to Adeline Stokes Naylor.

I don’t like researching women and with a name like Jones…. nope. There were several African American Maria Jones in Washington DC in 1920. She wasn’t even living at 1711 NJ Av NW in 1930, but renting the house out. So I don’t have any biographical information to work with.