Author: Mari

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 123 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 123 Bates St NW:

  • April 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 123 Bates St NW to Clark E. and Mattie E. Otey.
  • April 1951 the Oteys borrowed $1,900 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • April 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 123 Bates St NW to Joseph B. and Lucille Robinson.
  • April 1951 the Robinsons borrowed $1,900 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • October 1954 the Robinsons sold the property back to Colonial Investments’ owners.
  • August 1958 the Oteys lost their half of the property to foreclosure. New Colonial Investment Co. new partner (Levin died) Harry A. Badt, Evans, and Taube regained ownership via an auction.
  • 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.
  • 1971-1978? or sometime before, as I cannot locate a document, Basiliko sold 123 Bates to DC RLA.
  • July 1978 DC RLA had a contract with the Bates Street Associates for many Truxton Circle properties.

The story of the Bates Street Associates is a whole other post on its own. So there is one foreclosure and then the usual story with Basiliko and the DC RLA.

Sometime I’ll put up some biographies of the owners if their name was unusual enough (no Smiths, or Jones or Johnsons). In this case I’m looking at Clark Ellis Otey who lost half of 123 Bates to foreclosure. He was born April 25, 1913 in Bedford, VA. In 1939 he married Mattie Ethel Penn and in 1940 lived in Bedford where he was a waiter and she worked as a cook. In 1948 they lived at 752 Euclid NW in DC and Clark was working as a clerk for the government. They managed to avoid the 1950 census. Looking at the DC Recorder of Deeds, they did not buy any other DC properties.

It appears they moved back to Bedford. Clark died in 1986 at the age of 72 in Bedford. Mattie also died in Bedford in May of 2005. It appears they did not have any children.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 34 O 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 34 O St NW:

  • May 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 34 O St NW to Pearle E. and Thelma L. Staggers.
  • May 1951 the Staggers borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • May 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 34 O St NW to Angie O. and Edward M. Smith.
  • May 1951 the Smiths (not the band) borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1953 the Staggers lost their half of the house to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained ownership.
  • April 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed half to George E. and his wife Willie Strother.
  • April 1953 the Strothers borrowed $3,797.55 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • September 1956 the Smiths lost their half to foreclosure. Newer Colonial partner Harry A. Badt, Evans and Taube regained ownership via an auction.
  • November 1961 the Colonial partners, their wives and the Levin survivors, as part of a larger property package, sold half of the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • April 1969 the Strothers were released from their mortgage and owned their half of the home free and clear for many years.
  • July 1971 Basiliko sold his half, as part of a larger property package, to the Housing System Development and Construction Corp.  It seems.
  • April 1978 Basiliko was able to sell this and other properties to Freeman Home Improvement, Inc.

I’m to end this in the 1970s because tracing ownership gets messy.  This story includes two foreclosures and Basiliko ownership. It does not wind up in the hands of the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

Memory Lane: Elections at Dunbar

Election Day at Dunbar Senior High School. Taken November 2006.

We used to vote at this ugly building.

WSIC-Related- 114 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.

114 Q St NW was a house neighboring the WSIC houses. Let’s take a look at it.

photo of 114 Q St NW. Washington, DC 20001 in 2004.

Above is a 2004 photo of 114 Q St NW to show the lot number, but unfortunately lot 815 only goes back to 1971. So it requires some sleuthing.

Okay looking at a 1919 map 114 Q sits on lot 808. Looking up lot 808, the names Charles H. and Louise J. Wesley are on a 1922 document so looking up Charles’ name, it brings up lots 17, 26, 808, & 815 from 1922-1971.

Lot 17 only brings up a 1971 document # 1971024238.

Lot 26 has a lot more going on because it includes lots 806, 807 and 808. Looking at the various documents, the Washington Sanitary Improvement Co (WSIC) does not appear. However the Washington Loan and Trust Company, which is WSIC adjacent shows up for a loan.

1919 Baist Map. Portion of Sq. 552

Lot 808, shows 5 documents ranging from 1924 to 1930 for the Wesleys.

Lot 815 begins with document # 1971024238 with Charles Wesley’s name and continues to the present. The 1971 document shows that Charles and Louise sold their home to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency for $12,000.

Charles H. Wesley was involved with a lot of property transactions. So I have to limit it to Sq. 552.

  • December 1922 Margaret A. and William E.G. Penny sold 114 Q St NW to Louise and Charles Wesley. The Wesleys borrowed $2,250 from trustees Vernon D. Acree and William V. Mahoney.
  • February 1924 the Wesleys borrowed $7,100 from trustees Ralph P. Bernard and Guy H. Johnson.
  • June 1927 the Wesleys took out 2 $500 loans from trustee George Francis Williams.
  • June 1927 the Wesleys paid off their February 1924 loan.
  • May 1930 the Wesleys were released from their December 1922 loan.
  • June 1930 the Wesleys took out a $4000 loan from the Washington Permanent Building Association.
  • June 1930 the Wesleys were released from their two June 1937 loans.
  • November 1945 the Wesleys were released from the June 1930 loan.
  • November 1971 the Wesleys sold the property to DC RLA.

I’ll leave it at 1971.

Looking at a 1930 census, Charles and Louise were African Americans living at their home, they owned at 731 Fairmont Street NW, with their 2 daughters and his mother.photo of 731 Fairmont St NW, Washington, DC in 2004.

Larger memorial image loading...When I ventured over to the profession I see that Mr. Wesley is Dr. Wesley at a university. Time to check the Google. Dr. Rev. Wesley was the former president of HBCU Wilberforce University, wrote books with Carter G. Woodson, and while in DC was a professor at Howard University. He has a very impressive biography.

Did he live in Truxton Circle? I’m going to say no. The 1930-1940 census the family lived on Fairmont.

The  1950 census showed Dr. and Mrs. Wesley in Wilberforce, OH…. which explains why nothing much happened with the property in the late 1940s and till 1971. In 1942 he went to serve as Wilberforce University’s new president. Later he served as a college president for Central State University till 1965. It seems he came back to DC to serve as the president of Carter G. Woodson’s Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now ASALH) and he died in 1987.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 30 O 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 30 O St NW:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 30 O St NW to Nathelma A. and William L. Ewell.
  • Feb 1951 the Ewells borrowed $3,025 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 30 O St NW to Lewis E. and Maggie K. Harris.
  • February 1951 Mr. and Mrs. Harris borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1953 Mr. & Mrs. Harris lost their home to foreclosure and the ownership their half returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
  • April 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the foreclosed half to Mary E. and John B. Thomas.
  • April 1953 mother and son, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas borrowed $3,807.24 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • September 1954 the Ewells sold their home back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • June 1959 as part of a larger property package, new owner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold the half of 30 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • September 1967 John B. Thomas are released from their mortgage. Mary Thomas had died March 27, 1955.

So it gets confusing after that. Either Basiliko sold his half to Housing System Dev. and Construction Corporation in 1972 or to the Freedman Home Improvement Co. in 1978. Thomas sold his half in 1981. There was one foreclosure.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 32 O 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 32 O St NW:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 32 O St NW to widow Roxie A. Jackson.
  • Feb 1951 Mrs. Jackson borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 32 O St NW to Bermeda S. and Carl N. Pierce.
  • Feb 1951 Mr. & Mrs. Pierce borrowed $3,025 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • June 1952 Mrs. Jackson sold/transferred her half, via Ruth and Charles Rodgers Hawkins, to Mrs. Helena Isabel Ash.
  • February 1963 the Pierces paid off their mortgage.
  • February 1964 the Jackson loan was paid off.
  • October 7, 1959 Carl Nathaniel Pierce died.
  • January 1966 Mrs. Pierce, Helena Ash and her husband Charles Ash Jr. sold the whole of 32 O St NW to Anne and Irving Furash.
  • February 1966 the Furashes sold the property to the Diamond Housing Corporation.

No foreclosures. I was pleasantly surprised that when Roxie Jackson sold her home that it wasn’t foreclosed upon. I sometimes see that when that happens a foreclosure will follow. It all worked out for everyone. Yay.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 36 O 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 36 O St NW:

  • June 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 36 O St NW to Evelyn M. and Henry T. Venson.
  • June 1951 the Vensons borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • March 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 36 O St NW to Lottie B. and Albert J. Paul.
  • March 1951 the Pauls borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • August 1954 the Vensons lost their half to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained ownership via an auction.
  • November 1961 as part of a larger property package, new owner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold half of 36 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • December 1965 the Pauls paid off their mortgage.
  • July 1971 it appears that Basiliko sold his half to Housing System Dev. and Construction Corporation in a large property package. However…..
  • April 1978 Basiliko sold his half to Lottie B. and Linda Marie Paul, finally bringing the whole property under the Paul family.

So there was one foreclosure and it became a Basiliko property, but it has a happy ending with the Pauls.

Evelyn Venson (1926-1998)- PatriciaPeayBell originally shared this on Ancestry.com 24 Feb 2011

For fun, and because their names were unique, let’s look at the Vensons. According to an Ancestry family tree Henry Truitt Venson was born in 1918 in Atlanta, GA and died in 1964. During WWII he was living 1126 6th St NE, and his mother was in the TC at 1333 1st St NW. February 1955, his mother Hattie Venson Thrasher had been living at 43 Florida Ave NW. In 1959 he was charged with operating a lottery (running a numbers game), living on Morgan St. NW.

His wife, Evelyn Mary Robinson, was born the daughter of Madeline Swann and George W. Robinson April 7, 1926 in Washington, DC. She married Walter Bail Fields in 1943 and had a daughter Mary. In 1959 she married Henry T. Venson…. the dates aren’t lining up, but people are complicated. During the 1950 census she was separated, living with her parents and her children at 201 O St NW. In 1959 when she and Harry officially tied the knot, they were both living at 221 Morgan St NW, in Truxton Circle.

In 1954 the Vensons purchased 1625 4th St NW, also in Truxton Circle. However the previous owner was foreclosed upon and they lost that house too in 1956.

Evelyn moved to Rocky Mount, NC at some point, and that is the city where she died.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 28 O 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 28 O St NW:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 28 O St NW to Naomi C. and Marcus S. King.
  • Feb 1951 the Kings borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 28 O St NW to Cora M. and Leo D. Malone.
  • Feb 1951 Malone borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • September 1952 the Malones lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
  • September 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed half to Alice Warren.
  • Sept 1952 Miss Warren borrowed $3,791.70 from Levin and Weightman.
  • March 1956 the Kings lost their home to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
  • June 1959 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold the foreclosed half of the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1971 the Basilikos sold half of 28 and several other O St NW houses to the Housing System Dev. and Construction Corporation.

So two foreclosures. The rest of the property history is a little messy so I will leave it here. But I want to note that in 2010 the estate of Alice Warren represented by Vance Burden, sold the property.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 26 O 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 26 O St NW:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 26 O St NW to Geneva T. and John L. Huffman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Huffmans borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 26 O St NW to Adeline and Ozie Nash.
  • Feb 1951 the Nashs borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1953 the Nashs borrowed $459.92 from trustees Mary Herbert and Jacob Sandler to be paid to Consolidated Engr. & Distr. Co. Inc.
  • June 1954 Geneva T. Huffman lost her home to foreclosure. Via an auction the property returned to the ownership of Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • April 1957 the Nashs lost their half of the home to foreclosure and the ownership returned to the Colonial Investment Co owners.
  • March 1959 as part of a larger property package, new owner Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold 26 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1971 the Basilikos sold the whole of 26 and other O St NW properties to the Housing System Dev. and Construction Corporation.

So there were two foreclosures and the house went to Basiliko.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 24 O 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 24 O St NW:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 24 O NW to widow Ethel and her son Malvern F. Jackson.
  • February 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 24 O St NW to Irene M. and William P. McCall.
  • Jan 1951 the McCalls borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • September 1954 the McCalls lost their home to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
  • September 1954 the Jacksons sold the property back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • March 1959 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold 24 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1971 the Basilikos sold the whole of 18 O St NW to the Housing System Dev. and Construction Corporation.I don’t know what connection, if any the Housing System Dev. and Construction Corp had to DC’s RLA. Basiliko did these with several other O Street houses. And like several properties on O Street, they were condemned by the city.

Anywho, there was one foreclosure. Colonial Investments bought back the property and this is not the only time they have done this.

Malvern F. Jackson Sr. (1930-2015)

Lastly, looking up the Jacksons, I discovered that Malvern Jackson was living at 18 O St NW in January 1951, when he applied for a marriage license to marry Genevieve E. Lynch. He and Genevieve had a baby boy in late August 1951.  He died in 2015, as a widower to Genevieve and survived the death of one of his sons. They had three children.