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 18 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 18 Bates St NW to Alberta Colson.
• December 1950 Mrs. Colson borrowed $2,875 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1950 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 18 Bates St NW to Lorenzo J. and Mary N. Evans.
• December 1950 the Evans borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• February 1958 the Evans lost their half of 18 Bates to foreclosure and via an auction the property returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt.
• February 1958 as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sold their interest in 18 Bates St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• September 1961 Mrs. Colson paid off her mortgage and disappears from the record.
• November 1961 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold 18 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• December 1978, George Basiliko Inc sold 18 Bates St NW to Edward L. Young.

I looked to see if Alberta Colson appeared anywhere else because sometimes the land records were entered in the system incorrectly. Nope. The last we see of her is in 1961. Also I will stop at 1978 because there are a slew of documents with water liens, wrongful housing and all sorts of messy things.

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 201 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 201 P St NW to Catherine Estep Ferguson.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Mrs. Ferguson borrowed $3,425 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 201 P St NW to Paul L. and his wife Johnnie C. Wright.
• December 1950 the Wrights borrowed $3,375 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1965 the Wrights were released from their debts and obligations and owned their half free and clear.
• November 1966 Ms. Ferguson’s mortgage was cleared.
• December 1966 the Wrights financed a new boiler with Washington Gas, a debt that was due to mature in 1970.

This transaction went as well as it could. No foreclosures. For some reason there was a Basiliko document but I could not link a deed to him for this property. So I ignored it. And if no Basiliko, there is no DC RLA or any other DC government scheme to rehabilitate the property.

In 2012, the property was united under one owner. According to that document the Wrights and Ms. Ferguson were all dead and their estates sold their halves. Paul Wright died 1952. Johnnie Mae Wright died in March 2005, Herbert Champion and Dorothy Simpson Dickerson represented her estate.  Catherine Estep Ferguson, later Catherine Olivia Milner died January 26, 2005. Her estate was represented by son Michael James Milner and companion, Paul Woods.

Sometimes due to a bad read by the OCR or fat fingers the wrong document shows up out of no where. There was a 1953 document I ignored because neither party was on the deed. The borrowers borrowed 804.86 for work done by the Consolidated Engr. & Distr. Co, Inc. at 201A P Street NW. So this and the Basiliko document are the two that made no sense in the history of this house.

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.

Currently, 18 O Street NW has been divided into condos and there isn’t a convenient DCRA photo from 2004 to look at. But thankfully the lot next door, currently lot 237, for 16 O St NW.  From the 1909 map it appears 18 O Street NW is on lot 181. I am guessing 18 O may have also been lot 236.

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 18 O St NW:

• February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 18 O St NW to Almetha S. and Joseph Miller.
• February 1951 the Millers 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 18 O St NW to Bessie O. and Leroy Howard.
• March 1951 the Howards borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1956 the Howards lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry Badt via an auction.
• May 1957 the Millers sold their half to Badt, Evans, and Taube.
• June 1956 (recorded August 1958) as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sell their interest in 18 O St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• March 1959 the Millers were released from their mortgage obligations.
• March 1959 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold 18 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. What I can see in the record is that the property somehow still required Basiliko’s involvement and they were condemned at a point. So whatever supposed construction that was supposed to take place, probably didn’t.

Okay let’s get out the bingo card. Halves of one property sold to two separate households, check. The sole lenders were Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman, check. Foreclosure, check. Sold to George Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA? 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 60 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 60 Bates St NW to Beatrice S. and John C. Cooper.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Coopers 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 60 Bates St NW to Lewis C. Pate.
• Jan 1951 Pate borrowed $3,875 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• April 1954 Pate sold his half back to Evans, Levin, and Taube.
• June 1954 Pate was released from his mortgage.
• September 1954 the Coopers lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
• March 1959, as part of a larger package, new partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives, and the survivors of Nathan Levin sold 60 Bates Street NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.

It appears that between 1972-1980 the DC Redevelopment Land Agency gains control of 60 Bates Street. The document showing the transfer from Basiliko to DC RLA is somewhere but does not appear for this property.

So lets check our WSIC sell off bingo card. Half of the property sold to two different households, check. Same lender for all borrowers, check. Foreclosure, check. Sold to Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA, I can’t find the paperwork, but 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 what happens with 231 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold 231 P St NW to James R. Veney.
• January 1951 Veney borrowed $6,750 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• February 1954 Veney lost his home to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
• March 1954 Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 231 P St NW to Howard L. Norris.
• March 1954 Norris borrowed $4,152.26 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• August 1954 Evans, Levin and Taube transferred the other half 231 P St NW to Lillian M. McGowan and she transferred it back to them in the next document.
• November 1961, as part of a larger property package, new partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, and Taube, and their wives, and the survivors of Nathan Levin sold their half of 231 P to Sophia and George Basiliko.

After that things get messy. I don’t like to look at these records past the 1980s and 1990s because that brings me ever closer to bumping into people I might have known. And it is just weird.

Basiliko, in the form of George Basiliko with wife Sophia, and George Basiliko Inc., had a couple of real estate documents between 1962 and 1978. December 1978 George Basiliko Inc sold his half of 231 P St NW to Lewis L. Washington.

June 1980 Norris added Patricia Butler to the deed. Propertyquest has Patricia Butler is the current owner….. Okay. I didn’t see when/how it came under one owner.

So let’s check our WSIC bingo card.  Sale of half of the property, eventually, check. Foreclosure, check. Sale to Basiliko, check. Sale to DC Redevelopment Land Agency, nope.