Truxton Is In Shaw

Charles Samuel Powell was born on May 15, 1886 in Newnan, GA. He married his wife, Willie, in 1917. He worked for the Federal government as a clerk.

Looking at the 1933-1934 General Assessment the property (0551 lot 174) both Charles and his wife Willie N. Powell were on record for owning 120 Florida Ave NW.

They purchased their house 8/5/1921 from Mary Dewey. It appears they borrowed $1,160 from trustees Bradford & Smith to purchase the property.

They borrowed again in June 1924 $2,250 at 7% interest from trustees Purcell & Zepp. Again in February 1927 from trustees Kraft and Goldstein for the amount of $1875. The Purcell & Zepp debt was settled in 1927.

There were a lot more debts and releases (settled debts) in the 1920s and 1930s. There are so many, I will not mention them individually.

In April 1941, the Powells borrowed $4000 from the American Security and Trust Company. That same day they also borrowed $292.37 from trustees in a matter related to the Superior Construction Corporation. This leads me to believe they were having work done on the house. It appears they paid off their debt to the American Security and Trust Co. (then the National Permanent Savings and Loan Association) in September 1963.

In the 1950 census, their birth state changed to Texas. That’s probably incorrect. They were still at 120 Florida Ave and they had three roomers below the age of 29.

The house was sold in 1971 by the remaining spouse, Willie N. Powell. Charles had died on July 30th, but no year was given on the documents. She had sold it to DC’s Redevelopment Land Agency or basically, the DC government.

A newspaper search revealed that Charles Powell of 120 Florida ave. nw, died at the age of 68 in 1954.

What I hoped for with the 1930 home owners is to see from start to finish, the purchase and then the later sale. The problem with the 1920 Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle series, was that the Recorder of Deed records don’t start up until 1921. The few 1930 owners became owners in that early 1920s period and we don’t see how they came to be owners.

According to the 1930 census Isaiah and Eva L. Green owned 122 Florida Ave NW (Square 551, lot 173). They purchased the property October 27, 1927 from John M. and Lillie Nickels. They purchased the property with a loan from J. Logan Hopkins for $4,250 and what appears to be a loan from the seller, John M. Nickels and parties Bridgette and Canton for $2,350.

October 24, 1930 the Greens took a $5000 loan from the American Security and Trust Company/ National Permanent Building Association. The same day there was another transaction that looked (if it isn’t simple I have no idea) looked like it was transferring a $788.21 debit to John M. Nickels to a pair of other investors. The next month they were released from their 1927 Hopkins debt. There was another release for a Nickels/Bridgette 1927 debt. Then they took out another Nickels/Brigette-Caton debt for $400.

Eva Carter Green died August 30, 1935. Isaiah married again in November 1936 to a Lena Clatterbuck Ashton Tisder. She was 48, he was 57.

In 1946, the Greens, this time Isaiah and Lena, took out a $3,500 loan from the American Security and Trust Company/ National Permanent Building Association. That same year, they paid off the 1930 American Security and Trust debt, as well as another 1930 debt.

Isaiah died April 30, 1948.

The last record for the Green family is a 1951 deed, where the executor of Lena T. Green’s estate, Ruth A. Jackson, sold the property. She died in 1949.

The Greens owned the property from 1927 to 1951, 24 years. It started with Eva and Isaiah Green and ended with the estate of Lena Green.

In the 1930 census, Charles B. Walker is listed as the head of household at 136 R St NW. Since this was on Square 551, his house sat near where the CaBi station by Florida Avenue Park currently sits. In the land records his house was on lot 166. His ownership is confirmed by the 1933-1934 General Assessment, where he and his wife Mary T. Walker are listed.

When getting into the Recorder of Deeds online records, it appears Mr. Walker owned the property around or before 1925, as their first document is a 1925 trust (borrowing money) between Mary and Charles Walker and trustee W. Carl Wyeth for $200. The next year in 1926, they borrow (trust) $1,000 from the Perpetual Building Association, via trustees Baltz & Owen. They may have used that money to clear their debt to Wyeth on July 23, 1926. They borrowed more from the Perpetual Building Association in 1927. This time it was $1,500. They paid off (release) another debt with Wyeth in 1927. The couple waited until 1930 to borrow again, this time $1,600, from the Perpetual Building Assoc. They repaid their 1927 Perpetual Building debt in 1930. The 1930 debt was paid in 1952. The last record for this lot is a 1958 deed transferring the property to Chester A. Walker after Charles’ death. Then it is a dead end.

Who were the Walkers?

Charles Beverly Walker Jr. was born November 6, 1868 in Washington, DC to Charles B. and Ann C. Walker. In 1880, he was 11 years old and attending school and he lived with his parents and siblings at 343 F St SW (I-395 currently runs through where F St should be). His father was a store porter and his mother a laundress. In 1900 the Walkers were at 105 F St SW, and Charles began his career as a barber. He lived there with his parents, siblings, his wife Mary A. Taylor, and two of their children. In 1910 was living with his wife and their children Homezelle, Chester, Beatrice, and Thomas Walton at 107 F St SW, next door to his brother Thomas and their mother Anne, who were still at 105 F St SW. Their last census in SW DC was the 1920 census, where the 51 year old Charles continued working as a barber, Mary was a charwoman, and their adult daughter Homezelle was a teacher. They were living at 350 E St SW, with teenagers Beatrice and Thomas, along with mother Anne where they shared the building with another household.

He remained attached to his F St SW roots. In his April 17, 1956 obituary in the Evening Star, he was a deacon at the Zion Baptist Church at 337 F St SW, when he died at home on Saturday April 15. He may have been a member of the Oldest Inhabitants Inc, as they too had a death notice for Mr. Walker. He was a member and Past Master of Pythagoras Lodge No 9. FA&AM over 50 years. Upon his death he was survived by Mrs. Homezelle Carey (wife of Richard E. Carey) of New York, Chester A., Beatrice M. and Thomas W. Walker of the DC area. He was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery.