Category: History

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.

Let’s see what happens with 203 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 203 P NW to Jane and Morris Guy.
• January 1951 those Guys borrowed $3,400 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 203 P St NW to widow Irma T. Walker.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Walker borrowed $3,250 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1956 (recorded in 1958) Mrs. Walker lost her half to foreclosure. The property returned to the Colonial Investment Co. partners, Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt, via an auction.
• December 1956 (recorded July 1958), as part of a larger property package, the Badts transfer/sell their interest in 203 P St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• June 1959, as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold half of 203 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• November 1966, the Guys were released from their mortgage.
• January 1976 Morris Guy removed Jane Guy’s name off of their half of the property.
• October 1977, Shirley Guy James, administrator of Morris Leroy Guy’s will, transferred the property into her name.
• December 1978, George Basiliko sold his half to Lewis L. Washington.

I will leave it in the 1970s. Let’s check our WSIC checklist. Half of the building sold to two separate households, check. Foreclosure, check. Half or all of the property sold to George Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA or any associated private partners, nope.

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.

Let’s see what happens with 205 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 205 P NW to Rosa and Frederick Matthews.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Matthews borrowed $3,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 205 P St NW to Fannie B. Tolbert.
• Jan 1951 Tolbert borrowed $3,250 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• April 1954 Tolbert (she was separated in 1951 and married in 1954) sold her half to John H. Russell.
• April 1954 Russell borrowed $1,461.97 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• May 1956 Tolbert was foreclosed upon. Via an auction, the property returned to the ownership of the Colonial Investment Co partners, Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt.
• May 1956, as part of a larger property package, the Badts transferred all or some of the ownership of their interest in the property to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961, as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans and Taube, their wives, and Levin’s survivors sell half of 205 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• January 1962 the Matthews were released from their mortgage owning their half free and clear.
• May 1977 the Matthews sold their half to George Basiliko Inc.

I have no idea what was going on in the 1980s. On the surface it looks like George Basiliko sold/transferred the property to different people who then got foreclosed upon and he wound up getting the property back. Idk. I’m not looking all that closely. By the time the property came under one owner I gather the chance to dump it on DC RLA for a pretty penny passed. Checking our WSIC bingo card we have selling two halves, check. A foreclosure, check. Selling to George Basiliko, check. But no sale to DC RLA or any of its associated private partners.

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.

Let’s see how the history of 207 P St NW and see if/how it fits the pattern:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 207 P St NW to Jessie and Douglas Holmes.
• January 1951 the Holmes 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 207 P St NW to Annie M. and James Holder.
• January 1951 the Holders borrowed $3,150 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• October 1952 the Holders lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• October 1952, Evans, Levin, and Taube sell the formerly foreclosed half of 207 P St NW to Ethel V. and Alonzo T. Spruill.
• October 1952 the Spruills borrowed $3,481.20 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• April 1957 the Spruills lost their half to foreclosure and partners Evans, Taube and Harry A. Badt get the property via an auction.
• June 1957 the Holmes lost their half to foreclosure and the partners Evans, Taube and Harry A. Badt get the property via an auction.
• April 1957 (recorded July 1958), as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry & wife), transferred a one-half interest in 207 P St NW to Levin’s survivors.
• June 1957 (recorded July 1958), as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry & wife), transferred a one-half interest in 207 P St NW to Levin’s survivors.
• March 1959 (recorded June 1959), Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors, and the Badts, as part of a larger property package, sold 207 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• At some point between 1972 and 1978 the Basilikos sold the property to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

Let’s check our BINGO card. Sold half of a house, check and check. Foreclosure, check and check. Sold to Basilikos who then sold to DC RLA, check and check.

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.

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 133 Bates St NW to Mabel Y. and George McDonald.
• January 1951 the McDonalds 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 133 Bates St NW to L. Roscoe Evans.
• January 1951 Evans borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1952 the McDonalds sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
• January 1952 the McDonalds were released from their mortgage.
• May 1952 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold one-half of the property to Kinch Fennell.
• May 1952 Fennell borrowed $2,587.90 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1953 Fennell lost his half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• January 1954 Evans, Levin, and Taube sell one-half of the property to John S. and Louise Battle.
• January 1954 the Battles borrowed $3,087.29 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• April 1954 Roscoe Evans sold his half back to Evans, Levin, and Taube.
• June 1954 L. Roscoe Evans was released from his mortgage.
• June 1958 the Battles lost their half to foreclosure and it was returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
• June 1958, as part of a larger property package, Harry Badt & his wife transfer their interest in one half of the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin.
• March 1959, as part of another large property package, the Colonial Investment team (Evans, Badt, their wives, and Levin’s survivors) sell 133 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1972 and 1980 George Basiliko transferred/sold 133 to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

Looking at the above timeline and getting out our Bates Area bingo cards we have the property that was divided in half and sold to two different households; there were two foreclosures; the property was sold to the Basilikos and eventually it wound up in the hands of the DC RLA. It hits all the common beats for former WSIC property.

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.

Now let us look at the history of 135 Bates St NW post-WSIC:

• December 1950 Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 135 Bates St NW to Helen M. and Nathaniel Lee.
• December 1950 the Lees 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 135 Bates St NW to married woman, Mamie S. Green.
• January 1951 the Mrs. Green borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• February 1952 Mrs. Green sold her half to Lorene Ruth and Benjamin Randolph.
• August 1954 the Lees lost their half of 135 Bates St NW to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
• September 1959 Mrs. Green (in turn the Randolph family) lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans and Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
• September 1959 as part of a larger property package, partner Harry Badt & his wife transfer half of their interest in the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin.
• November 1961, as part of a larger package the Colonial Investment team (Evans, Badt, their wives, and Levin’s survivors) sell their interest in 135 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Sometime before 1978 George Basiliko transferred/sold 135 Bates to the Bates Streets Associates Incorporated, which has some ties to the District of Columbia government (135 Bates St NW mentioned in this WP article). Not exactly a sale to DC RLA, but close-ish enough as RLA chose the Bates Street Associates Inc to renovate properties such as 135 Bates.

Getting back to the common themes found in these histories we have half of the property sold to two different households; a couple of foreclosures and a sell off to George Basiliko who then dumps the property.

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.

So we’re going to see what happened to 16 O St NW and see if/how it fits the pattern:

• February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 16 O St NW to Clifford J. Bagnell.
• February 1951 Mr. Bagnell borrowed $2,725 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half of 16 O St NW to Gertrude and James Stancil.
• February 1951 the Stancils borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1956 the Stancils lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt via auction.
• June 1956, as part of a larger property package, Harry Badt and his wife Jennie, transferred their interest in the property to Nathan Levins’ survivors.
• June 1959 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans and Taube, and their wives, along with Nathan Levin’s survivors sell off their interest in 16 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• March 1962, widower Clifford J. Bagnell was released from his mortgage debt.
• July 1971 the Basilikos sold their half of 16 O St NW to the Housing System Development and Construction Corp. as part of a larger property package.

Following Bagnell’s ownership into the 1980s there are some documents about condemnation and they are directed towards Bagnell and James Dale Davidson at an address in College Park, MD. Hunting Mr. Bagnell down I discovered he died May 1, 1963. His niece and sister-in-law were the only ones named as his survivors.

So there was one foreclosure, check. Part was sold to George Basiliko, check and I don’t this the Housing System Dev. and Construction Corp had anything to do with RLA so, that’s a no.

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.

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.

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.

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.