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 46 Bates St NW:
- December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 46 Bates Street NW to Nellie E. and David A. Harris Jr.
- December 1950 the Harris 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 46 Bates St NW to Martha J. and Martin Lloyd.
- Dec 1950 the Llyods borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
- September 1952 the Lloyds lost their home to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained the property through an auction.
- February 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the half to Joseph and Uzeria Hamilton.
- February 1953 the Hamiltons borrowed $3,226.75 from Colonial Inv. Co’s preferred trustees Levin and Weightman.
- May 1953 Mr. and Mrs. Harris lost their half through foreclosure and Evans, Levin and Taube repossessed the property via an auction.
- June 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosure to Rosie Lee and John F. Smith.
- June 1953 the Smiths borrowed $3,274.21 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
- December 1956 the Smiths lost their home to foreclosure. New Colonial Investment Co. partner Harry A. Badt, with Evans and Taube regained ownership through an auction.
- December 1956 Harry A. Badt and wife Jennie transferred/sold interest in the property to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
- November 1961, as part of a large property package (doc 1962000416), Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold 46 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
- November 1966 the Hamiltons were released from their mortgage.
- October 1977 George Basiliko sold his half to Mary Elizabeth and Theodore Morman Garrison.
- October 1977 the Garrisons borrowed $7,000 from trustees Leonard C. Collins and John M. Swagart, paid off in 1988 and 1994.
- February 1995 the estate of Theodore Mormon Garrison sold their half back to George Basiliko.
- March 1995 widower George Basiliko sold his half to Joseph and Uzeria Hamilton bringing the house under one owner.
There were three foreclosures and the property was sold to George Basiliko, slum landlord. However, the house was not sold to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.