My very outdated website- TruxtonCircle.org has the 1880-1940 census info on it. The 1950 census came out in 2022 and I did not update it, because in 2002 I had a grant and was single. Now I have a family and no grant.
But I do need to get the 1950 census in a spreadsheet and use the data to write more stories about the history of the neighborhood. This will be slow plodding as a 1 woman show.
Although Truxton Circle is in Census Tract 46, it is made up of several enumeration districts and that is what I have to pay attention to when gathering data. Looking at the 1950 Census Map :
ED 63 covers squares 614 and 615
ED 64 covers squares 550 and 551
ED 65 covers squares 507 and 519
ED 66 covers squares E 509 and 520
ED 67 covers squares E 510, 521 and 552
ED 68 covers squares W 553 and 553
ED 69 covers square 616
ED 70 covers squares 617 and 618
ED 71 covers squares W 554, 554, and 555
I should do this for the other censuses ….censi? Because I swear I’m missing a street here and there.
I was thinking about house churches. One was the Phanelson Memorial True Church of God Apostolic at 244 P St NW. In the realm of Protestantism, they are in the Pentecostal neighborhood. Pentecostals are the more energetic version of the body of Christ.
244 P St NW.
This blog noted when the property was for sale in 2008. However, looking at Redfin and the Recorder of Deeds, it did not sell until 2021. Normally, I like to end my house/people histories in the 1970s and 1980s, because I’d rather not write about living people. But the Bishop for this church passed away in 2020.
In my last house history for 244 P St NW was for Frederick B. Turner, who sold the house to Ernest Clinton Winfield in 1947. Ernest Winfield sold the house in 1961 through Margaret Hartung who sold it to Efteia and John M. Swagart. In 1962 the Swagarts sold it to the Progressive Investors Corporation. In December 1973, the president of the Progressive Investors Corporation, James C. Brown and its secretary, Raymond K. Brown, transferred the property to James C. Brown. The next year, 1974 James and wife Mary sold the property to Verda Belle Braxton and daughter Elverda LaVerne Braxton-Thomas.
The Braxtons borrowed $19,950 from HUD, via Lawrence A. Epter & Associates. In 1978, via Lawrence Mitchell, the property was taken out of Verda Braxton’s name and placed solely in Elverda Braxton-Thomas’ name. In 2000 Elverda borrowed $78,000 from America’s Wholesale Lender (yes, that’s the name) which she satisfied in 2016. June 11, 2020 Elverda disclaimed her interest in the property as the surviving joint tenant, since the death of her mother that same year. It seems her mother willed the property to the Phanelson Memorial Apostolic Church Inc. No big deal, because Elverda represented the church when it sold the property to the current owners in 2021. Elverda died October 2022.
So who was Bishop Verda B.P. Braxton? She was born Verda Belle Phanelson May 18, 1927 in Powhatan, West Virginia to Alfred Phanelson and Bishop Esther Phanelson. I am reminded that Pentecostals are very open to female leadership and running churches can be a family business for non-hierarchical denominations. When she married Alphonso James Braxton in Roanoke, VA in 1949, she was working as a hospital maid and he a laborer.
In 1950, according to the census, she was living with her widowed mother in Roanoke with her newborn son Alphonso (aka Phanelson A. Braxton, died 2021). She had her 2nd child Elverda in 1953 in Washington, DC. According to a February 16, 1957 Washington Afro-American article she was a clerk-typist for the Walker-Thomas Furniture Co. when the company integrated its staff. Skipping a few years, public records have her address as 244 P St NW in the late 1980s and mid 1990s. So she qualifies to be a Black Home Owner of Truxton Circle. In her obituary, it reads “She served as Bishop and head of the church for over 38 years.”
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.
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.
Continuing to recognize Black History Month, let’s take a look at the father of Black History, Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s home and office at 1538 9th St NW.
According to the DC Recorder of Deeds database on September 6, 1922, a single man, Carter G. Woodson purchased 1538 9th St NW (Sq. 365, lot C) purchased his home from Dr. Ida J. Heiberger, a white female physician. She attended Howard University for a hot minute in 1881. According to her Wikipedia page she graduated from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, in 1885.
To finance his purchase, he borrowed $3750 from trustees Julius I. Peyser and Theodore D. Peyser. Julius was the president of Security Savings and Commercial Bank and lawyer with Peyser, Edelin and Peyer. Theodore was his brother and the other Peyser in the law firm. They both were white.
October 7, 1927 he was released from the Peyser mortgage.
December 1954 the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, the organization Woodson founded, borrowed $10,000 from Perpetual Building Association. The document noted Woodson’s death and that the Association was the corporate heir.
He died in 1950. He did not seem to leave the property to his sisters or brother. His will appears to have gone through probate in December 1958 in West Virginia. But I couldn’t find the actual will for details.
Despite being dead he was responsible for a tax lien, well him and the Associated Publishers, Inc in 1983. Then later in the 1980s the Association got in trouble with the IRS and there were many IRS tax liens.
I wonder if new residents and younger people could appreciate what residents in the 00s and 2010s had to deal with concerning a row of dilapidated Shiloh properties on 9th Street.
There was great excitement when there was rumblings that the National Park Service would step in because this was the home of the father of Black History and Black History Month. And then there was nothing. Then it didn’t seem the NPS was going to do anything with this property or the adjoining properties it owned. I also vaguely remember the NPS was trying to take over a private home on the corner that is now a restaurant.
Now there is a museum. I haven’t been in it. The one day when I had off and during their normal hours, the place seemed closed.
Carter G. Woodson House. 1538 9th Ave NW. Taken February 20, 2018
Back in 2021 and 2022 I reviewed each chapter of Carter G. Woodson’s most famous book, the Mis-Education of the Negro. I think the 2021 and 2022 reviews are very similar. Here are the 2022 posts.
Black History Month began as Negro History Week, as created by former Shaw resident, Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926, 100 years ago. In a 1925 newspaper article, mentioning Negro History Week noted that Woodson believed that the achievements of Black Americans needed more publicity, as well as people to chronicle and preserve Black History.
In 1926 Negro History Week was to be observed February 7th to 12th. Support came from libraries, colleges, churches, lodges, and clubs.
Fast forward to fifty years ago, 1976 and President Gerald Ford recognized National Black History Month. I feel this is the 1st history month before others and started the trend.
National Black History Month Message, 1976. Source- National Archives
Then I wrote to NARA as Mari InShaw requesting the files. Almost all were considered non-responsive. That means, Dr. Woodson was not the main subject or even a sub-subject of the files. Then why would the FBI tell me that I should go to the National Archives? Well, the FBI’s definition of responsive is way more inclusive and broader than needed.
Carter G. Woodson’s name might show up somewhere in the files. I believe if they touch on history or have a news clipping that includes Dr. Woodson’s name, it’s FBI responsive.
On the plus side, J. Edgar Hoover did not consider Dr. Woodson a commie. If he had, there would have been a good file.
What am I going to do this year? In previous years I have posted the works of Carter G. Woodson, former Shaw resident and father of Black History Month? I will do so again, but more of a hodgepodge with no central theme like his book.
CARTER G. WOODSON – TEACHER, HISTORIAN, PUBLISHER Source: National Archives NAID 535622
Looking at the WSIC home buyers we look at Blanche and Archie Young of 217 P St NW. In WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 217 P Street NW, in December 1950 (recorded February 5, 1951) Colonial Inv. Co. partners Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 217 P St NW to Archie S. and Blanche M. Young. That same month, the Youngs borrowed $3,000 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman. Then in April 1958 the Youngs lost their half of the property to foreclosure and via an auction, the property was returned to Evans, Taube and new Colonial Inv. Co partner Harry A. Badt.
There’s not much on Blanche Marie Adair Young. She was born around about 1927 in the District according to marriage and the 1950 census records.
Archie Sylvester Young was born September 28, 1913 to Etta E Willard and George A. Young in Washington, DC. His mother died in 1934 at Gallinger Hospital, the hospital where he worked as an orderly. Her death left his father, also an orderly, Archie and his brother Maurice Franklin Young. Their father remarried in 1935 to Laura Louise Matthews.
217 P St NW, Washington DC 2004
He used to have other brothers. In the 1920 census the family lived at 1652 B St NW. The father worked as a porter and mother worked from home as a laundress and they had 4 sons under the age of 8. Percy the eldest, was born in 1913 and died as a 16 year old laborer in 1929. His other brother Charles died at the age of 15, when Charles was shot and killed by a White House policeman August 18, 1932, whilst prowling around the cop’s home. The family lived at 116 16th St NE, and the cop at 214 17th St NE. Charles’ obituary said there were sisters, but no sisters appear in the 1930 census for the family.
In 1940, for the draft of World War II, Archie was a self employed single man. He was working for himself as a painter. 1946 he married Blanche Adair. In the 1950 census the couple was listed as being roomers at 634 M Street NW. Blanche kept house while Archie worked as a painter. But this census claims he was born in South Carolina.
The trail runs cold after 1950. They did not buy another house in DC after the foreclosure. Archie died September 11, 1992 in Maryland.
