Month: January 2025

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 39 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 39 Bates St NW to Carl W. and Elizabeth M. Butler.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) the Butlers 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 39 Bates St NW to Marcella V. Harrison, Lonnie and Viola V. Young.
• Jan 1951 Harrison and the Youngs borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• July 1952 the Youngs and Harrison lost their half to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube repossessed the property via an auction.
• October 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed half to Mary Elizabeth and William Albert Allen.
• October 1952 the Allens borrowed $3,148.95 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
• April 1953 the Allens lost their home and the unit was once again foreclosed and was regained by Evans, Levin and Taube through an auction.
• April 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the unit to Kenneth and Patricia Smith.
• April 1953 the Smiths borrowed $3,242.50 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
• May 1953 the Butlers lost their half through foreclosure and Evans, Levin and Taube regained it via an auction.
• July 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed unit to Benjamin F. and Mary E. Valentine.
• July 1953 the Valentines borrowed $3,206.19 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
• September 1954 the Smiths lost their half through foreclosure and Evans, Levin and Taube regained it via an auction.
• June 1959 (document # 1959024641) Evans, Taube, new partner Harry A. Badt, Nathan Levin’s survivors, and their spouses sold 39 Bates, as part of a large property package, to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• September 1967 the Valentines were released from their mortgage.
• December 1975 George Basiliko Inc. sold the other half of 39 Bates to the Valentines.

This house had a lot of foreclosures and early on too. It also had part of the home owned by slum landlord George Basiliko. However, it ended well with Basiliko selling to Mr. and Mrs. Valentine who then owned it until the 2000s. So it only fit part of the pattern.

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 52 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 52 Bates NW to Edward and Mabel Porter.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Porters borrowed $1,900 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 52 Bates St NW to Alonza and Rosalee Taylor.
• Dec 1950 the Taylors borrowed $1,900 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• May 1956 the Porters and the Taylors lost their home to foreclosure and new Colonial Investment Co partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, and Taube repossessed the property via an auction.
• May 1956 Harry and Jennie Badt transferred/sold some or all of their interest in the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin.
• March 1959 Badt, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors, and their spouses sold 52 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Prob. 1970, as there is no documentation, Basiliko sold 52 Bates to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• June 1980 (doc #8000020294) the DC Redevelopment Agency sold/ transferred 52 Bates in a large property package to the BSA (Bates Street Associates) Limited Partnership.

So this was a quick one where both halves were foreclosed in the same month. And it went to Basiliko who sold it to DC RLA which then passed it on the Bates Street Associates. It fits the unfortunate pattern.