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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 202 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 202 Bates NW to Louis and Mattie C. Cunningham.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Cunninghams borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1950 (recorded Feb 1, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 202 Bates St NW to Frank and Nora Coleman.
• December 1950 (recorded Feb 1, 1951) the Colemans borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• May 1956 the Colemans lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction it returned to the ownership of Evans, Levin and Taube.
• June 1958 the Cunninghams lost their half to foreclosure and through an auction Colonial Investment partners Harry A. Badt, James B, Evans, and Nathaniel J. Taube.
• June 1958, as part of a property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sold their interest in 202 Bates St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• March 1959, as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, Levin’s survivors, and their spouses sold 202 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Between 1971/72 and 1982 Basiliko sold the house. I suspect to DC RLA but I can’t find the document for that and other properties.
• April 1982 the BSA Limited Partnership sold/ transferred the house to the District of Columbia government.
• January 1983 the District of Columbia government sold it to its current owner.

Well that was short. Sold in parts, and both parts foreclosed upon and landing in the portfolio of a slumlord within 9 years.

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.

Let’s see what happens with 200 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 200 Bates St NW to Ida J. and James W. Grayson.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Graysons borrowed $3,025 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 200 Bates St NW to Cleo T. and William Willis.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Willis borrowed $3,025 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• August 1956 the Willis family lost their home to foreclosure and with an auction it returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt.
• August 1956 (recorded 8/1958) as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transferred their interest in 200 Bates St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961 the Graysons lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction the property went back to Evans, Taube and the Nathan Levin survivors.
• November 1961, as part of a larger property package, Evans, Taube, Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold 200 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• November 1971, the Basilikos sold 200 and 204 Bates Street NW (document 1971023182) to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• Sometime after 1971 the DC RLA transferred or sold the property to the BSA Limited Partnership.
• April 1982 the BSA Limited Partnership sold the property back to the District of Columbia government.

Let’s go down the checklist: Property sold in halves, check. Foreclosures, check. George Basiliko ownership, check. DC RLA ownership, check. Just another sad WSIC story.

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 219 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 219 P NW to Ethel M. and Jacob S. Miller.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Millers borrowed $3,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• February 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 219 P St NW to Arthur and Blumne Lipscomb.
• Feb 1951 Mitchell borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1952 the Lipscombs transferred their half to Margaret Johnson who transferred it back to Arthur Lipscomb and Blumer Whitehead, who I will assume is the same person as Blumne Lipscomb.
• October 1961 the Millers are released from their mortgage, owning their half free and clear.
• April 1962 the Lipscomb mortgage is released.
• August 1970, Shellie F, Bowers administrator for the estate of Henry A. Lipscomb sold his interest to Elizabeth Edwards.
• August 1988, Elizabeth Edwards was noted to have a 1/4 interest in 219 P St, sold her interest, as well as the heir-at-law of Blumer Whitehead (died 6/30/1985) to Freda D. and Junella M. Gaines.

I have no idea what happened to the Millers. It’s safe to assume they died. They just disappeared. Junella A. Gaines was the heir of the Millers as there is a water sewer lien sent to them in 1986, two years before the other half of the house was sold her. There is a 2002 Quit Claim Deed stating that the Gaines were heirs of the Millers.

As we can see from the 2004 photo above, the house was abandoned and vacant in total. The city condemned the property in October of 2004 when it was owned by FDG Funding Services.

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.

Let’s see what happens with 1537 3rd St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 1537 3rd St NW to Mattie and Walter Quarles.
• January 1951 the Quarles borrowed $7,050 from Colonial Capitol Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• October 1953 the Quarles lost their home to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• November 1953, Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 1537 3rd St NW to divorcee Nettie Glover.
• November 1953, Glover borrowed $4,054.64 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• November 1953, Evans, Levins and Taube sold the other half to Marchel and Vera R. Davis.
• November 1953, Mr. and Mrs. Davis borrowed $4,054.65 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• November 1955, the Davis family lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• February 1958, Nettie Glover lost her half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
• February 1958, as part of a larger package,  the Badts (Harry & wife Jennie), transferred their interest in 1537 3rd St NW to Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961, as part of a large property package, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors, and the Badts, as part of a larger property package, sold 1537 3rd St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• July 1970, as part of a very large property package, (document 1970011877) the Basilikos sold 1537 3rd St NW to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• August 1979, as part of a large property package, DC RLA sold the property to the Bates Street Associates.

Okay, let’s check the WSIC checklist of sadness and doom.  Sold half of a house, eventually, check. Foreclosure, check, 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 208 Q St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 208 Q NW to divorcee Elizabeth Carter.
• January 1951 Mrs. Carter borrowed $3,275 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 208 Q St NW to William T. and Lylibelle Banks.
• Jan 1951 the Banks borrowed $3,275 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1953 the Banks lost their home to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
• February 1953 Evans, Levin, and Taube resold the foreclosed property to John and Marie E. Dunston.
• February 1953 the Dunstons borrowed $3,776.75 from Levin and Weightman.
• July 1958 Mrs. Carter lost her half to foreclosure and Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt regained ownership of the property via an auction.
• July 1958, as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sold their interest in 208 Q St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold their half the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• November 1966 the Dunstons were free of their mortgage with Levin and Weightman and owned their home free and clear.
• May 1974 the Dunstons sold their half of the property to Edith C. and Ralph E. Deane.
• August 1974 George Basiliko Inc sold his half to Edith C. and Ralph E. Deane, bringing the property under a single household.

Alls well that ends well. The Deanes owned 208 Q St NW from 1974-2003. So despite foreclosures and a period of Basiliko ownership, it turned out fine.