This is the third Dr. Arthur McKenney post here and hopefully it will be a good biography and house history. He’s been featured in 2018- Black Home Owners of 1940: Dr. Arthur B. McKinney and 2021- Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Arthur B. McKinney, which appears to be the same post warmed over.
I guess my problem was there were two Arthur McKenneys AND Dr. McKinney’s name was spelled McKenny and McKenney.
Searching for Arthur McKenney in the DC Recorder of Deeds and I don’t see anyone for square 615. But when searching for Square 615 lot 233, I find a McKinney. An Arthur B. McKinney. It is in document 192203180040 where Arthur signs over the property to his wife Ethel T. McKinney in 1922.
In 1928 Ethel took out a loan with the Oriental building Association for $5,000. It was solely in her name. That same year Arthur was released from a 1918 mortgage he signed for when he was single. Ethel was released from her mortgage in 1948. Then she took out another loan in 1955 with the same building association for $3,500, and paid it off in 1961. Ethel sold the house to… sigh… George Basiliko in 1972.
By also tracing Ethel I see she also owned lot 231, where her father in-law Samuel McKinney lived. In 1922 Ethel T. and Arthur N? McKinney sold 1515 1st Street NW to Samuel A. McKinney. But by 1933 Samuel had died and Arthur’s and Ethel’s name were on the deed as next of kin selling the property to Albert F. Adams. Also on the deed were Guilford McKinney, unmarried; Lewis B. McKinney and his wife Blanche E. McKinney; James E. McKinney, unmarried; Bessie T. Austin of Alexandria, unmarried; Walter V. McKinney, unmarried; and Evelyn G. McKinney, of Chicago, unmarried. And just for good measure Arthur B. and Ethel T. McKinney signed a Quit Claim Deed as well. In 1935 there’s a foreclosure document, however I did not locate the accompanying mortgage that it was based on the 1515 1st St NW.
Arthur Bancroft McKinney was born November 21, 1888 to Samuel A. and Della McKinney in the District of Columbia. In the 1910 census he lived with his parents, siblings Bradner, Stella, James, Bessie, Walter V, and Ralph L at 63 P St NW. Also in 1910 he graduated from Miner’s Normal School. He attended Howard Medical school. December 4, 1920 Arthur married Ethel T. Albert. By that time he was already a practicing physician.
Dr. McKinney died in October 1946. In his obituary he was hailed as a “Pioneer District Civic Leader.” The November 2, 1946 Afro-American described his unfortunate death. Apparently, he had been a patient at the Freedman’s Hospital for 4 years. An attendant had filled and put him in a bath. The attendant left him and during that time, the water drained out and in attempting to fill it back up, McKinney turned on the hot water and was burned. He died before anyone could help.