Category: Truxton 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 211 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 211 P NW to Leon Carter and Jordan Lewis.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Carter and Lewis 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 211 P St NW to Alfred and Josephine Sherman.
• February 1951 the Shermans borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• May 1951 Carter and Jordan sold their half to Jordan Massie.
• July 1952 Carter and Jordan and logically Massie, lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• August 1952 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the foreclosed half of 211 P St NW to Dealman G. and Mildred Lee.
• August 1952 the Lees borrowed $3,999.54 from Weightman and Levin.
• June 1953 the Shermans sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
• August 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube resold half of 211 P St NW to Leon and Rachel H. Gaither.
• August 1953 the Gaithers borrowed $4,060.15 from Weightman and Levin (released June 1954).
• November 1955 the Gaithers lost their home to foreclosure and property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• April 1961 the Lees sold their half to Evans, Taube, and the Levin survivors.
• November 1961 Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors, and the Badts, as part of a larger property package, sold 211 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1971 and 1980 the Basilikos, as part of a larger package probably, sold the property to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• June 1980 as part of a larger property package, the RLA sold the property to the BSA Limited Partnership.

This followed the unfortunate WSIC story where half of the property was sold to several families and there were a couple of foreclosures. It eventually fell into the hands of George Basiliko and the DC RLA.

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 209 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 209 P St NW to Happer and Levie Herring.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Herrings 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 209 P St NW to Frances H. Bullock and Rhayford Meyer.
• Jan 1951 Bullock and Meyer borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• October 1955 Happer and Leuie Herring sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
• September 1959 Bullock and Meyer lost their half to foreclosure. New partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, and Taube regained the property via an auction.
• September 1959 Harry and his wife Jennie Badt transferred/sold their interest in the property to the survivors of Nathan Levin as part of a larger property package.
• November 1961, as part of a large property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold their interest in 209 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• May 1962 the Herrings were released from their mortgage.
• Between 1971 and 1978 Basiliko sold/transferred the property to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• August 1978 the RLA sold/transferred the property to the Bates Street Associates Inc. as part of a larger property package.

Let’s get out the WSIC 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? Check. Then sold to a private partner, 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 213 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 213 P St NW to Silas Brown.
• January 1951 Brown borrowed $6,000 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1952 Silas and his wife Viola Cecilia Brown sold the other half of 213 P St NW to Charles Williams.
• June 1952 Williams borrowed $994.43 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1952 the Browns sold the other half of 213 P St NW to Luella Leach.
• June 1952 Ms. Leach borrowed $1,544.43 from a different set of trustees, Carl D. Coleman and Walter Washington. I wonder if it was THE Walter Washington, former mayor of DC.

Now for some reason that is a mystery to me there is a June 1959 document (#1959024641) selling half of 213 P St to Sophia and George Basiliko by Evans, Taube, new partner Harry A. Badt, their wives and the survivors of Nathan Levin, as part of a large property deal.

• December 1961 Silas Brown legally lost his portion of the property to foreclosure and via an auction it fell into the hands of Evans, Taube and Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• December 1961 Evans, Taube, their wives and the Levin survivors sold half of 213 P to Charles Williams. I’m not sure why this is necessary, because he already owned it.
• December 1961 (same day) Evans, Taube, their wives and the Levin survivors sold the other half of 213 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko. Which they did before in 1959.
• June 1964, Charles Williams sold his half to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1973 and 1979 George Basiliko sold the property to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• August 1979-ish DC RLA sold the property to Bates Street Associates Inc.

There is so much messed up with this property and the documents that don’t make sense, I will just stop here and not make any conclusions.

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 221 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 221 P NW to Lent L. Hunter.
• January 1951 Lent Hunter borrowed $3,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• June 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 221 P St NW to Catherine B. and Orville L. Jackson.
• June 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• September 1955 Mr. Hunter lost his half to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained the property via an auction.
• June 1959 new partner Harry A. Badt, his wife, Taube. Evans, their wives, and Nathan Levin’s survivors sold their half of the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• February 1964, the Jacksons borrowed $3,415 from United Mortgage Company Inc.
• November 1966, the Jacksons were released from their June 1951 mortgage.
• January 1975, George Basiliko sold the other half of the property to the Jacksons, thus bringing the property under the ownership of one household.

I’m going to end it there. Despite being sold as two halves, a foreclosure, and being sold to George Basiliko, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson managed to get the whole house. As far as I can tell the house remained in the Jackson family until 2001.

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 225 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 225 P Street  NW to Arthur V. and his wife Carlis M. Foust.
• January 1951 the Fousts 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 225 P St NW to Mrs. Gladys V. Hill Hodge.
• Jan 1951 Mrs. Hodge borrowed $3,150 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• May 1957 the Fousts lose their half to foreclosure. Their half of the property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
• May 1957, as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sell their interest in 225 P St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• June 1959, as part of a larger package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold half of 225 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• February 1960, Mrs. Hodge lost her half of the property to foreclosure. This second half of the property returned to Badt, Evans, and Taube via an auction.
• February 1960, the Badts, as part of a larger package,  transferred/sold their interest in the property to the Levin survivors.
• August 1960, Evans, Taube, their wives, and the Levin survivors sold the remaining half to George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1973 and 1978 Basiliko sold/transferred the property to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.
• Either in 1978 or 1979, as part of a larger package, the DC RLA sold the property to Bates Street Associates, Inc.

Let’s whip out our WSIC 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, double 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 what happens with 223 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 223 P St NW to Daisy K. and Delaney Oliver.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Olivers borrowed $3,150 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1951 (recorded in February) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 223 P St NW to Mrs. Susie A. Baker, and Edna and Clyde Workcuff.
• Jan 1951  Mrs. Baker and the Workcuffs borrowed $3,150 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• July 1952 the Olivers sold their half to Julius and Lucy J. Graves.
• May 1954 Mrs. Baker and the Workcuffs lost their half of 223 P St NW to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained the property via an auction.
• March 1958, the Olivers, and by extension, the Graves, lost their half of 223 P to foreclosure. Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt regained the the property via an auction, thus bringing the whole property together.
• March 1958, as part of a larger property package Harry and Jennie Badt transfer/sell their interest in the property to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• March 1959, as part of a very large property package, Evans, Taube and the Levin survivors sell 223 P St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1972 and 1974 the DC Redevelopment Land Agency took ownership of 223 P St NW.
• June 1980, as part of a larger package, DC RLA sold/transferred ownership of 223 P to the BSA Limited Partnership.

Let’s review again: Divided halves sold to two separate households, check. Foreclosure, double check. Sold to George Basiliko, check. Sold to DC RLA, check. I’ll note that later documents related to the property look messy.

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 227 P St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 227 P St NW to Anna B. and Louis E. Brown.
• January 1951 the Browns borrowed $3,150 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 227 P St NW to Alice O. and Herbert F. Williams, Sr.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Mitchell borrowed $3,000 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• September 1959 the Browns lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
• September 1959, as part of a larger property package, Harry and wife Jennie Badt transfer their interest to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961, as part of a very large property package, Badt, Evans, Taube (and their wives), and the survivors of Nathan Levin sell their half of 227 P and other properties to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• April 1968 the Williams sold their half to George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1971 and 1974 the property was sold to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.
• August 1979 (I suspect 1978 but there are pages missing from document # 7900028039) the DC RLA sold/transferred the property (as part of a larger deal) to Bates Street Associates, Inc.

Alright looking at the WSIC bingo card we have property sold as two separate halves to two different households, check. At least one foreclosure, check. Purchase by George Basiliko, check. And also sold to the DC Redevelopment Agency, check.