Author: Mari

1957 Church Survey: Shiloh Baptist Church

In 1957 there was as survey of churches in the Northwest Urban Renewal Area, which included Shaw, Downtown, and the area near Union Station. To learn more about the 1957 Church Survey read my previous posts, The Uniqueness of the 1957 Church Survey and Church Survey Northwest Urban Renewal Area October 1957.

I think this is the last of the 1957 Church Survey churches.

photo of property

Shiloh. At the corner of 9th and P St NW, it has been a major player in the neighborhood, for good and ill. When I think of the buildings left to rot on their block, fighting liquor licenses (no need to support, that’s like asking the Mormons to support a coffee shop, no.) and parking. They also host VIPs who need to check off ‘visit to African American church’ on their list. I have fond memories of muckty-mucks visiting from the Clintons, the Bushes and Mayor for Life on his post prison tour.

Let’s look at Shiloh in 1957:

CS 13 Shiloh Baptist by Mm Inshaw

I feel I should mention the main building burnt down in the 1990s maybe. So that explains why it looks so new.

Shiloh, like Greater New Bethel Baptist, is a large African American church with over a thousand members showing up to services every Sunday.  Also like Greater New Bethel, very few of their members live in the NW Urban Renewal Area (see above map). So it has been a commuter church for over 60 years. But it had no parking.

I wonder where all those members parked?

Before I get myself in trouble with the aunts who attend Shiloh, I’m going to stop.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 131 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 was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

photo of property

The history of 131 Bates St NW, plays out as so:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 131 Bates St NW to James C. and Florie Gordon.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) the Gordons borrowed $5,050 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1952, the Gordons sold 131 Bates to a Miss Edith E. Matthews. Matthews then sold half of 131 Bates to James C. Gordon “unmarried”, splitting the property.
  • November 1952 Matthews sold the other half of 131 Bates to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • November 1952 the unmarried (not sure what happened to Florie) James C. Gordon borrowed $3,058.21 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube sold their half of the property to Frank and Earlene H. Fowler.
  • Feb 1953 the Fowlers borrowed $3,211.06 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • March 1953 Florie and James are released from the December 1950 debt.
  • May 1954, James C. Gordon loses his half to foreclosure and via an  auction it returns to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • June 1959, as part of a larger property package, new partner Harry A. Badt, his wife, partners Evans and Taube, and their wives, along with Nathan Levin’s survivors sell off their interest in 131 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • March 1970 the Fowlers were released from their debt.
  • December 1971, the Basilikos and the Fowlers sold their halves of 131 Bates St NW to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

Let’s go down the checklist. Foreclosure, check. Sold to George Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA, check.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 132 Q 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.

photo of property

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 was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see the history of 132 Q St NW and see if it fits the pattern:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 132 Q St NW to Ocea M. Coltrane.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Mrs. Coltrane borrowed $3,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 132 Q St NW to Charles O. and Juanita L. Wallace.
  • December 1950 the Wallaces borrow $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • June 1954 Mrs. Coltrane lost her half to foreclosure. Through an auction the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • August 1956 the Wallace family loses their half to foreclosure as well and via an auction it returns to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt.
  • August 1956 as part of a larger property package, partner Harry Badt & his wife transfer their interest in the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin.
  • March 1959, as part of a larger package the Colonial Investment team (Evans, Badt, their wives, and Levin’s survivors) sell their interest in 132 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Sometime before 1978 George Basiliko transferred/sold 132 to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

So all the boxes were checked. Foreclosure, double-check. Sold to George Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA, check.

1957 Church Survey: Metropolitan Baptist Church

In 1957 there was as survey of churches in the Northwest Urban Renewal Area, which included Shaw, Downtown, and the area around Union Station. One of the churches was Metropolitan Baptist Church at 1225 R St NW, and currently sits in Largo, MD. To learn more about the 1957 Church Survey read my previous posts, The Uniqueness of the 1957 Church Survey and Church Survey Northwest Urban Renewal Area October 1957.

photo of property

In 1957 Metropolitan Baptist was a large Black church with over 3,000 members. It was large enough and wealthy enough to support 2 full time and 2 part-time ministers, 3 church secretaries, and 4 janitors. The average reported attendance was 1,500 people a Sunday. If 500 more people showed up, it would then be a mega church.

A church with that many congregants and regular worshipers needed and had a parking lot. Their parking lot had room for 50 cars. About 40% of members lived in the urban renewal area. A majority, 57%, lived in other parts of the District. I see a notation that they used nearby commercial lots on Sundays. So they may have been more of a commuter church.

CS 4 Metropolitian Baptist … by Mm Inshaw

 

According to their survey, they appear to have been a very active church. There were scouts, a credit union, a YMCA basketball league along with the common religious education components.

Eventually Metropolitan would sell their church building in 2006 to Unity of Washington. While they waited for their Largo building to get built, a reduced congregation met at the Armstrong School building in Truxton Circle. There were some financial problems and that’s when the school’s grassy field was paved over. And now they are in Maryland. The End.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 136 Q 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 was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 136 Q St NW:

  •  January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 136 Q St NW to Emma and William Allen.
  • January 1951 the Allens borrowed $3,150 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 136 Q St NW to Mamie and Roland F. Hawkins.
  • Jan 1951 Mitchell borrowed $3,150 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1951 the Hawkins sold their property to Otha N. and Rosa M. Currie. Unfortunately……
  • February 1955, their half was foreclosed upon by Levin and Weightman and returned, via an auction, to Evans, Levin and Taube. But before that…..
  • July 1954, the Allens lost their home to foreclosure and via an auction, return to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • March 1959 Evans and Taube (and their wives) and the survivors of Nathan Levin, as part of a larger property package, sold 136 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Sometime between 1968 and 1978 Basiliko sold 136 Q St to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

Now we go down the checklist of the things that happen with properties like this. Foreclosure, checked twice. Transfer to George Basiliko, check. Eventual ownership by the DC RLA, check.

1957 Church Survey: Greater New Bethel Baptist

In 1957 there was as survey of churches in the Northwest Urban Renewal Area, which included Shaw, Downtown, and the area around Union Station. One of the churches was New Bethel Baptist Church at 1739 9th St NW. To learn more about the 1957 Church Survey read my previous posts, The Uniqueness of the 1957 Church Survey and Church Survey Northwest Urban Renewal Area October 1957.

I need to note that New Bethel was civil rights leader Rev. Walter Fauntroy’s church. But I gather since Rev. Fauntroy went off the rails in his twilight years, his name is no where on the church’s website. Whereas other Black churches featured in this series might have some mention about their history, there is none of that on the dynamic website.

photo of property

From the website it appears the church is a vibrant Black middle class church. And from the 1957 survey it appears that with an 80% white collar population, it was a vibrant Black middle class church.

CS-3-Greater New Bethel Bap… by Mm Inshaw

At the time of the survey, the church reported that none of their 700 members lived in the urban renewal area (which shrank down to the Shaw borders). They lived in other parts of the District.

I wonder if parking was a problem then?

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 1509 3rd 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 was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

photo of property

Let’s see the ownership history of 1509 3rd St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 1509 3rd St NW to widow Mary A. Jackson.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Mrs. Jackson borrowed $3,375 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 1509 3rd St NW to Woodrow W. Jackson. I do not know if he and Mary were related.
  • Jan 1951 Mr. Jackson borrowed $3,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1960 Mr. Jackson lost his half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
  • February 1960, as part of a larger property package, Harry Badt & his wife transfer a portion of their interest in this and other properties to Levin’s survivors.
  • November 1961, (recorded 1/5/1962), as part of a larger package the Colonial Investment team (Evans, Badt, their wives, and Levin’s survivors) sell their interest in 1531 3rd St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • December 1962, Mary Jackson borrowed $950.00 from trustees Charles W. Morgan and Ralph O. Weed.
  • December 1963, Mary Jackson borrowed $2,650 from trustees A.J. Mascetta and Ralph O. Weed.
  • October 1967 Mrs. Jackson borrowed $1,183.68 from Mascetta & Weed for work done by Continental Contracting Co., Inc.
  • November 1967 she was released from her debt with Levin and Weightman.
  • September 1978, George Basiliko, as George Basiliko, Inc, sold his half of 1509 3rd St NW to Lewis L. Washington.
  • March 1983, Mrs. Jackson sold 1509A 3rd St NW to Fannie T. Johnson.
  • November 1984, Fannie T. and her husband Sylvester Johnson sold their half of the property to Lewis L. Washington bringing the property under one owner again.

So let’s see if we check the boxes. Halves sold, check. Foreclosure, check. Sold to Basiliko, check. Sold to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency, nope.

Bad Photocopy- 3rd and Q St NW- Circa 1960something

Corner of 3rd and Q St NW, circa 1960-something

For another post at another time I was scouring my hard drive, my Flickr account, and various other spots because I swore I had a picture of the corner of 3rd and Q before the, um….. Interesting architecture appeared on the corner.

I took this image in 2017.

The developer added a mansard roof/ 3rd floor.

It looks different.

Anyway, I found a bunch of photocopies of photographs from what I think may be the late 1960s maybe the early 1970s of the corner of 3rd and Q Streets NW.

Corner of 3rd and Q St NW in Washington, DC

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 1505 3rd 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 was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

photo of property

Let’s see the ownership history of 1505 3rd St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 1505 3rd St NW to Patricia E. & Sterling G. Brown.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Madden borrowed $3,375 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 1505 3rd St NW to James Mitchell.
  • Jan 1951 Mitchell borrowed $3,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1957 Mitchell lost his half through foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
  • March 1958 the Browns also lost their half through foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Taube, and Harry A. Badt via an auction.
  • November 1957 and March 1958, as part of a larger property package, Harry Badt & his wife transfer a portion of their interest in this and other properties to Levin’s survivors.
  • November 1961 (recorded 1/5/1962), as part of a larger package the Colonial Investment team (Evans, Badt, their wives, and Levin’s survivors) sell 1505 3rd St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Sometime before 1980, the property fell into the hands of the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

All boxes checked. Foreclosure, checked twice. Transfer to George Basiliko, check. Eventual ownership by the DC RLA, check.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 1535 3rd 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).

photo of property

Let’s see if 1535 3rd St NW fit this pattern:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold 1533 3rd St NW to Bernice T & Elsworth R. Turner.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) the Turner’s borrowed $6,750 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • August 1958 the Turners lost their home to foreclosure.
  • August 1958, as part of a larger package, new partner Harry Badt & his wife transfer a portion of their interest in the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin.
  • November 1961 (recorded 1/5/1962), as part of a larger package the Colonial Investment team (Evans, Badt, their wives, and Levin’s survivors) sell their interest in 1535 3rd St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1970, as part of a larger package, George Basilko sold 1535 3rd St NW to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

So all the boxes were checked. Foreclosure, check. Sold to George Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA, check.