Category: History

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 51 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. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. 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 51 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 51 Bates St NW to Louise V. Brown a widow, and Bertha E. Oliver, separated.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Brown and Oliver borrowed $2,900 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 51 Bates St NW to Christine B. Gregg.
  • Dec 1950 Gregg borrowed $2,900 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • September 1961 Brown and Oliver were released from their mortgage.
  • April 1962 Gregg was released from her mortgage.
  • August 1972 Gregg (husband Jessie Charles Gregg mentioned but unsigned), Brown and Oliver sold 51 Bates to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) for $13,000.
  • June 1980 (doc #8000020294) the DC RLA sold/transferred this and other properties to BSA Limited Partnership. BSA is possibly short for Bates Street Associates. It is paired with doc #8000020221 a contract between DC RLA and BSA Ltd Partnership.

No foreclosures. No known slum landlord. Original buyers were able to pay off the mortgages. This was a good story. However they did sell the property to DC RLA which makes me wonder if the properties were in bad shape.

According to a 1960 city directory Christine Bennett Gregg was a nurse living at 51 Bates Street NW. She could have been the same Christine Gregg in the 1950 living as a lodger with the Maynard family at 1443 Q St NW working house worker for a private family. She was 37, separated, and born in North Carolina. Her husband, and it looks like a case of abandonment, was a Pullman porter according to his WW2 Army Enlistment record. She retired as a licensed practical nurse. She died in 1993 in North Carolina.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 55 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. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. 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 55 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 55 Bates St NW to Ruth C. Morris.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Ms. Morris borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 55 Bates St NW to Rodena Hood.
  • Jan 1951 Ms. Hood borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • October 1952 Ms. Morse sold her half to the widow A. E. Pickett.
  • September 1956 Ms. Hood lost her half to foreclosure. It was repossessed by Badt, Evans, and Taube via an auction.
  • Sept 1956 Harry A. and wife Jennie Badt sold/transferred their interest in the property to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
  • June 1959 (doc #1959024641), as part of a large property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors, and their spouses sold 55 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • June 1963 Ms. Morris, and by extension Mrs. Pickett, was released from her mortgage.
  • October 1965 Mrs. A. B. Pickett borrowed $5,959 from the United Mortgage Company represented by trustees A.J. Mascetta and Ralph O. Weed.
  • December 1979 George Basiliko, Inc sold his half to Otis B. Womack.
  • December 1985 the Estate of Otis B. Womack transferred the half to Otis’ brother James E. Womack.
  • June 1985 the estate of A.B. Pickett sold her half to James E. Womack.

This has two elements of the pattern with one mortgage and the sale of that foreclosed unit to George Basiliko. But it was not sold to the DC Redevelopment Agency and avoided that part of the cycle.

For some reason the name Otis Womack seemed familiar, so I Googled it. I no longer have a Washington Post subscription, but it’s one of the first things to pop up with a story from October 24, 1981. Otis Womack was the owner of the Little Florida Avenue Market at 141 Florida Avenue NW when he was shot dead in a robbery. His name is also buried in a 1981 Congressional document regarding gun violence. His son Wayne Ellis David, an MPD officer, died recently in 2024, in a tragic accident when he attempted to retrieve a gun from a storm drain.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 57 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. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. 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 57 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 57 Bates St NW to Hugh and Lillie Mae Davis.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) Mr. & Mrs. Davis borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 57 Bates St NW to Audrey E. and Homer R. Nue.
  • Dec 1950 the Nues borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • October 1951 Mr. and Mrs. Davis sold their half to Margaret M. Moore.
  • September 1955 the Nues sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube. May 1962 they were released from their mortgage.
  • November 1961, as part of a large property package (doc 1962000416),  Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold 57 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • November 1961 the Basilikos borrowed $57,000 from TELSYNDICATE (represented by Evans and Taube as trustees) for 57 units/lots, including 57 Bates.
  • November 1966, Mr. and Mrs. Davis, and by extension Margaret Moore, were released from their mortgage.
  • January 1979 Margaret M. and Lonnie Moore sold their half to George Basiliko Inc.
  • March 1979 George Basiliko Inc sold the property to H.R.L. Inc (Edward A. Kassoff, President & Gerald Diaz, Secretary).

I’ll leave it there in 1979. There are no foreclosures, no sale to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency nor to the Bates Street Associates. Without those 57 Bates did not fit the pattern. The only thing that fit the pattern was the sale of both halves of 57 Bates to George Basiliko. There was also a resale to Colonial Investment Co.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 59 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. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. 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 59 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 59 Bates St NW to Charles H. Wilson.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) Wilson borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Feb 21, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 59 Bates St NW to Lera C. and Lester A. Jones.
  • Dec 1950 the Jones borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1955 Mr. & Mrs. Jones lost their half to foreclosure. Through an auction Evans, Levin and Taube regained the property.
  • June 1959 (doc #1959024641), as part of a large property package, Evans, Taube, new partner Harry A. Badt, Nathan Levin’s survivors, and their spouses sold the foreclosed half of 59 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • August 1959 the Basilikos borrowed $17,000 from TELSYNDICATE (represented by Evans and Taube as trustees) for 34 units/lots, including 59 Bates.
  • January 1961 Charles H. Wilson lost his half to foreclosure and it was repossessed in an auction by Badt, Evans, and Taube.
  • April 1961 Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors, and their spouses sold the foreclosed half to George Basiliko who at that point owned the property as a whole.
  • Between 1970-1973, as there is no document located but ownership went from Basiliko to the DC Redevelopment Agency (RLA).
  • June 1980 DC RLA entered into a contract (doc # 8000020221) with BSA (Bates Street Associates) and transferred a large number of properties to the (doc # 8000020294) Bates Street Associates (BSA).

Two foreclosures, sale to the Basilikos, twice, then eventual transfer to RLA who will then transfer it to BSA. It fits the pattern.

Normally I leave out the Basiliko borrowing. There are several transactions Basiliko does that I’m not particularly interested in. However, I decided to do it with this one. And doing so noticed that Colonial Investment Co., in part at least, financed the purchase.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 61 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. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. 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 61 Bates St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 61 Bates St NW to Randall R. Evans.
  • Jan 1951 Evans borrowed $5,050 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • March 1957 Evans sold the house back to Colonial Investment Co. to Badt, Evans, and Taube. Jan 1962 he was released from his mortgage.
  • January 1962 Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold 61 Bates to divorcee Frances R. Atwood.
  • Jan 1962 Atwood borrowed $7,500 from the Perpetual Building Association, represented by trustees Junior F. Crowell and Samuel Scrivener Jr. at 6% interest.
  • Jan 1962 in the third consecutive document, Atwood sold/transferred the property to Evans, Nathan Levin’s survivors, and Taube.
  • October 1962 Evans, Levin’s survivors, Taube and their spouses, as part of a property package, with other 1/2 houses on the block, to Colonial Mortgage trustee Robert G. Weightman and his wife Eleanore L.
  • October 1962 the Weightmans borrowed $32,709.85 from TELSYNDICATE, represented by Colonial Inv. Co’s Evans & Taube, for 61 Bates and 10 other properties.
  • April 1971 the Weightmans sold 61 Bates to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) for $12,000.
  • May 1971 it appears the Weightmans paid off the Atwood loan taken out in Jan 1962, along with several other separate loans.
  • July 1978 there is a contract (doc 7800024140) between the DC RLA and the Bates Street Associates, Inc. (BSA) There is no corresponding deed located, but the property was transferred to BSA.

There are some unusual things with this property. There are no foreclosures, but it does get sold to the DC RLA and then BSA. The first unusual thing, and maybe I didn’t notice it before, the Colonial Inv. Co. sold it to Ms. Atwood who borrowed money from a unaffiliated 3rd party (Perpetual Building Assoc.) and then sold it to someone else. The second thing was someone associated with the Colonial Investment Co., Robert Weightman buying company property. Not directly, thus Ms. Atwood. I recently discovered Colonial Investment Co. had a spin off Colonial Mortgage Co., represented by Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman. Usually in that time slot it would have been sold to Geo. Basiliko, slum landlord. But it wasn’t sold to him, that’s the third unusual thing.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 63 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. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. 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 63 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 63 Bates NW to Booker T. and Katie M. Hinton.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Hintons borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 63 Bates St NW to the divorced Anne Lee.
  • Dec 1950 Anne Lee borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1952 Katie Hinton borrowed $601.34 from trustees Mary Herbert and Jacob Sandler in order to pay Consolidated Eng. & Dist. Co.
  • Dec 1955, Anne (nee Washington) Lee had died and her heir in law Rosa Haight transferred the home to Dorothy Wooten who then transferred it back to Rosa Haight and Wilbert Woods.
  • August 1956 Anne Lee, and thus Rosa Haight and Wilbert Woods loses their half to foreclosure. Via an auction the property was repossessed by Badt, Evans and Taube.
  • August 1956 Harry and Jennie Badt transferred their interest in the property to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
  • November 1961 in a large property package (doc# 1962000416), new partner Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold half of the house to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • March 1962 the Hintons were released from their mortgage, owning their home free and clear.
  • November 1971 Booker T. and Katie Mae Hinton along with George and Sophia Basiliko sold 63 Bates to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • Nov 1971 Katie M. Hinton was released from her 1952 loan.
  • July 1978 there is a contract (doc 7800024140) between the DC RLA and the Bates Street Associates, Inc. (BSA) There is no corresponding deed located, but the property was transferred to BSA.

There was only one foreclosure. It fit the pattern when half was sold to Basiliko and then both sets of owners sold the property to the DC RLA.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 16 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. In 1956 Nathan Levin died and Colonial Inv. Co. vice president Harry A. Badt took his place in the foreclosure paperwork. 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 16 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold the whole of 16 Bates NW to Wilhelmina and William U. Scott.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Scotts borrowed $5,750 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • August 1962 the Scotts were released from their mortgage owning their home free and clear.
  • October 1975 received a loan for $4,250 from the DC Department of Housing and Community Development.

Well. This one was very different. The Scotts bought the whole house, paid it off and owned it for most of their lives. Wilhelmina died in 2008, but a few years before she passed there was a Power of Attorney signed over to her nephew. So it turned out well.

The Scotts were hard to pin down. I discovered Wilhelmina’s maiden name, Pitt. She and William must have married after 1940. In the 1940 census she was living with her mother and siblings, who were named in her obituary, in Cecil, MD working as a parlor maid. There were two or more William U. Scotts. I did find a valveman William “A” Scott with a wife named Wilhelmina in the 1933 DC city directory. However, there were several William Scotts throughout the world married to women named Wilhelmina.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 65 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 65 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 65 Bates NW to Alice N. and Wilston S. DeVaughn.
  • Dec 1950 the DeVaughns borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 65 Bates St NW to Louis J. and Martha J. Peace.
  • Dec 1950 the Peaces borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1952 the DeVaughns lost their half to foreclosure and through an auction the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • October 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed unit to Arabella and James E. Byrnes.
  • Oct 1952 the Byrnes borrowed $3,148.95 from Levin and Weightman.
  • Oct 1952 the Peaces lost their half to foreclosure and Evans, Levin and Taube repossessed the property with an auction.
  • November 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the unit to Ralph and Vera A. Wright.
  • Nov 1952 the Wrights borrowed $3,164.38 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • April 1956 the Byrnes sold their unit back to the Colonial Investment Co. represented by Harry A. Badt, Evans and Taube. The document noted that James E. Byrnes died February 3, 1955. They were released from their mortgage March 1959.
  • May 1957 the Wrights lost their half to foreclosure. Through an auction the property was repossessed by Badt, Evans, and Taube, thus bringing the whole house back under the ownership of the Colonial Investment Co.
  • May 1957 Harry and Jennie Badt transferred/sold some or all of their interest in the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin.
  • March 1959 (doc #1959019387) Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors, their spouses sold this and several other Truxton Circle properties to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Between 1971-1972 Basiliko was released from three mortgages and the next document has the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) as the owner, so we are left to assume around 1970 Basiliko sold the property to RLA.
  • Around 1978 the DC RLA sold/transferred this and other properties to the Bates Street Associates. A contract (doc #7800024140) DC RLA and Bates Street Associates, Inc hints to a deed I cannot find.

There were several foreclosures and a selling back. This makes me question the original motives of Colonial Investment Co. This fits the pattern of foreclosure followed by George Basiliko, followed by DC RLA then followed by the Bates Street Associates. Continue reading WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 65 Bates Street NW

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 67 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 67 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 67 Bates Street NW to Geneva M. Harrison.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) Mrs. Harrison borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 67 Bates St NW to Marion Grayson and Catherine VM Smith, both married persons. Marion was a man.
  • Feb 1951 Grayson and Smith borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • May 1954 Mrs. Harrison lost her half to foreclosure and Evans, Levin and Taube who regained ownership through an auction.
  • April 1957 Grayson and Smith lost their half to foreclosure. Colonial Investment Co. leadership, Harry A. Badt, Evans, and Taube repossessed the property via an auction.
  • April 1957, Harry and wife Jennie Badt transferred/ sold their interest in this and several properties to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
  • March 1959 (doc# 1959019387) Badt, Evans, Taube, Nathan Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold 67 Bates St NW and other properties on the block to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Between 1971-1972 Basiliko was released from three mortgages and the next document has the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) as the owner, so we are left to assume around 1970 Basiliko sold the property to RLA.
  • June 1980 (doc #8000020294) the DC RLA sold/transferred this and other properties to BSA Limited Partnership. BSA is possibly short for Bates Street Associates. It is paired with doc #8000020221 a contract between DC RLA and BSA Ltd Partnership.

It was interesting that both units went into foreclosure and Colonial Investment Co. did not bother to resell them and then sold them to Basiliko. I’m 90% certain, without a document to prove it, that Basiliko sold it to DC RLA. Then it went from RLA to some version of the Bates Street Associates.

The name Geneva M. Harrison seemed familiar so I discovered she also bought 50 Bates Street NW . So who was Geneva M. Harrison? She was born August 24, 1915 and married to William A. (Buttercup) Harrison who died in 1948. That year’s city directory she was listed as living at 221 Q St NW and working as a maid for Washington Loan and Trust. In the 1950 census, she was still living at 221 Q St NW, but working as a dietician at a hospital. Notably, her 17 year old son William was also working at a hospital as a cook. There were several people living at 221 Q. There were her two daughters Lillian and Rosa (15 yo and 12), the before mentioned son, his 16 year old wife, their infant son William Jr. and a 50 year old roomer. She owned (for a time) 67 and 50 Bates Street and in 1973 she purchased 5129 H St SE, then sold it in 1978.

Grayson also seemed like a familiar name. It was but the people were different, just same surname. Then the question is why did Grayson and Smith buy a unit together? Looking up Marion Grayson, there is a record of Grayson marrying in 1947 a Barbara Varnetta Smith. She was the daughter of Clarence L. and Catherine V. Smith. So he bought a unit with his mother-in-law.

In 1950 Catherine Smith (nee Muse) was a 43 year old African American housewife living with her husband and three of their children at 415 New York Ave NW (where the YALE apartments sit now). Her husband Clarence worked as a gas station attendant and 19 year old daughter Jacqueline sold newspapers. Her other daughter Barbara was living with her husband’s family at 1137 8th St NW with her 1st husband Marion Grayson and infant son Sheldon. Marion was working for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing as a printers helper.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 69 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 69 Bates St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 26, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 69 Bates St NW to Mary R. Davis, separated.
  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951)  borrowed $3,375 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • March 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 69 Bates St NW to Frances E. and George W. Lancaster.
  • March 1951 the Lancasters borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • June 1953 the Lancasters lost their half to foreclosure and through an auction ownership returned to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • July 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold the foreclosed unit to Ethel Mae and John H. Corbitt.
  • July 1953 the Corbitts borrowed $3,290.17 from trustees Levin and Weightman.
  • March 1955 the Corbitts lost their home to foreclosure and the unit was repossessed by Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
  • August 1955 Ms. Davis lost her half to foreclosure and it too was repossessed by Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
  • March 1959, as part of a larger property package (doc # 1959019387), new Colonial Investment Co partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, the survivors of the late Nathan Levin, Taube and their spouses sold 69 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Around 1970-1971 (no doc) George Basiliko sold this and several Truxton properties to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
  • July 1978 there is a contract between the DC RLA and the Bates Street Associates, Incorporated (BSA) for several Truxton properties. Typically there is a deed pared with it transferring ownership to the BSA, no deed was located.

This house fits the pattern. Foreclosures and it was sold to George Basiliko, identified as a slum landlord by the Washington Post. The pattern. Basiliko sold many Truxton Circle and former WSIC homes but in this and other histories, the document is missing from the line up. I know Basiliko sold 69 Bates to the DC RLA because the DC RLA had a contract with BSA sometime after Basiliko was released from mortgages and other financial obligations tied up with the property. This hints that he sold it. And there are other Truxton properties he sold where there are documents of the sale of properties going from Basiliko, then to DC RLA then to BSA.