Black Homeowners of TC – Truxton Is In Shaw

WSIC-1950 Sell Off-229 Bates Street NW

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.

photo of property

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 look at the history of 229 Bates St NW:

January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold 229 Bates St NW to Samuel and Annie D. Hagins. It doesn’t appear that they sold half, but the whole house.
1/4/1951 the Hagins borrowed $6,050 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
July 1954 the Hagins sold half of 229 Bates St NW back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
October 1955 the Hagins lost their half to foreclosure and Evans, Levin and Taube regained the property via an auction.
March 1959 Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sell the property as part of a larger package to Sophia and George Basiliko.
July 1970 the Basilikos sell the property to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency.

This was a new one for me. Typically, Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of the property to families. There were problems with this. The few sales I’ve seen of these half properties to other individuals seems to have failed most of the time. The property either winds up in foreclosure or it gets sold to a party that owns the other half. In this, they started off selling the whole property, but then bought back half.

So who were the Hagins who bought 229 Bates St NW and lost it? In the 1950 census they lived at 1746 18th Ave NW as lodgers of George Green. They were both African Americans from Georgia. He was a 21 year old baggage porter working for the railroad, she was 22.

WSIC-1950s Sell Off- 230 Q Street NW

photo of property

So let’s see the pattern in action for 230 Q St NW:

1/18/1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sell One-Half of 230 Q St NW to Emma C. and Edward N. Holmes.
1/18/1951 the Holmes borrow $3,625 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
2/14/1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sell other One-Half of 230 Q St NW to June R. and Norman M. Morgan.
2/14/1951 the Morgans borrow $3,625 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
8/13/1954 the Morgans lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube.
June 1959 (recorded in August) Evans, new partner Harry A. Badt, their wives (for legal reasons), and relatives of Levin sell the remaining half as part of a large package to Sophia and George Basiliko.
3/8/1976 George Basiliko’s company sells the other half interest to the Holmes.

So the Holmes were the lucky ones.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 30 Bates Street NW

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company built a number of homes in the Truxton Circle neighborhood in the late 19th and early 20th century. WSIC sold off a number of their rentals, with the idea of selling to African Americans. On it’s face the idea seems wonderful, but a deeper look reveals something less than wonderful.

In previous sales on the unit block of Bates Street there was a pattern. Most of the properties were 2 unit rentals, when they were sold, the buyer only got one-half interest or half of the house. So someone would buy 1/2 of the house, borrow money from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman, then in a year or so, lose their ownership in foreclosure.

photo of property Let’s see if 30 Bates Street NW fits that pattern:

WSIC rentals are sold off in one big lot to business partners, Nathaniel J. Taube, Nathan Levin and James B. Evans for $3 million dollars in June of 1950.
Jan. 26, 1951 Taube, Levin and Evans sell 1/2 of 30 Bates St NW to John R. and Fannie S. Dunston.
Jan. 26, 1951 the Dunstons borrow $1,900 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
Feb. 14, 1951 Taube, Levin and Evans sell the other 1/2 of 30 Bates St NW to William H. and Ruth E. Carter.
Feb. 14, 1951the Carters borrow $1,900 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
Sep. 18, 1953 the Carters lose their 1/2 to foreclosure and the property returns to Taube, Levin and Evans.
Jan. 26, 1954 Taube, Levin and Evans sell 1/2 of 30 Bates St NW to Barney R. and Marguerite Nelson.
Jan. 26, 1954 the Nelsons borrow $2,897.34 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
Mar. 2, 1962 the Dunstons are released from their debt from Levin and Weightman and own their half free and clear.
Nov. 30, 1967 the Nelsons are released from their debt from Levin and Weightman.
Jan. 13, 1972 the Nelsons and the Dunstons sell their property to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.

For a moment I was feeling hopeful. The Dunstons and the Carters managed to avoid foreclosure, pay off their debt and 30 Bates was not sold to George Basiliko. I’m not sure what the deal was with the sale to RLA.

The Nelsons were a Black couple. According to the 1950 census. Barney was a 38 year old labor and his 39 year old wife worked as a domestic for a private family. They both hailed from South Carolina.

Also in the 1950 census Fannie and John Dunston were living at 1736 13th Ave NW as lodgers. They were both African Americans from North Carolina. He was a 26 year old messenger working for the Federal government, she was 25 years old working in a hospital kitchen.

1940s Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Dorothea/ Dorothy Wilson-Young- 402 R St NW

So this is a bit of a prequel to the Virginia Wilson post. I probably would have done a Dorothy Wilson post already if she was listed as an owner in the 1940 census. But she wasn’t. She was noted as a renter instead, even though she owned it since 1931.

In the 1940 census 33 year old widow Dorothy Wilson was listed as the head of household at 402 R St NW, and a renter. At that time she worked as a maid at the Y.M.C.A. She lived in the house with her 65 yr old widowed mother Bell (Belle), and her 27 and 29 year old bothers Clinton and Raymond. These brothers show up in Virginia post and eventually get their names on the property.

So in March 1931 Doretha (her name gets spelled various ways) Wilson purchased the house from Frank and Iva M. Pratt. She borrowed $1,900 at 6% in her name from trustees P D Holmes & M C West. Ten years later in 1941 Dorothea (noting that Doretha was incorrect) borrowed $2,500 from the Perpetual Building Association and $685 from trustees Thornton W. Owen & Louis Yudelevit at 6%. That year she closed out her initial 1931 loan. She paid off the smaller 1941 loan in 1946. The larger 1941 debt was cleared in 1953. But before that, she added the names of six of her siblings to the property in 1946 for lot 813. Then again for lots 67 and 68 in 1953.

One of those six siblings was Virginia Wilson.

In the 1950 census, her sister Virginia was the head of household. Doretha/Dorothy Young was living with family at 1619 R St NW in Apt# 600. She and husband George Young were living with niece and nephew, the Wootons.

One last note regarding Dorothea Wilson, she had married and in the 1953 was going by Doretha Young. When the family sold/ transferred the property to their nephew Michael Jay Wooton, Doretha was one of the surviving siblings to transfer the property in 1975 document # 7500008198.

Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Virginia Wilson- 402 R St NW

Grr. It’s another one of those complicated family properties.

Okay, let’s do this. If you’re new to my blog, I look at the census, I find the names of African Americans who owned property in the neighborhood now known as Truxton Circle, and I write about it. Sometimes I find semi-notable people, notable adjacent people, but most times everyday people, like you.

I was able to link property ownership of 402 R St NW to Virginia Wilson by looking at the Recorder of Deeds’ records and the 1950 census. So in the 1950 census Virginia Wilson, a single Black 32 year old nurse was listed as the head of the household. She lived with her sisters Willie Beatrice “Willie B./ Williebee” Wilson, Rosa Frye, brother Percell Wilson, 1 year old nephew Michael Wooten and a roomer, William Bell.

Virginia Wilson came to own the property as one of several relatives of Dorethea/ Dorothea/ Dorothy Wilson, who owned it alone prior to 1946. This then had me looking at Dorothy Wilson who appeared at 402 R St NW in the 1940 census, as a renter. I will write a separate blog looking at her. As I wrote earlier, this is one of those complicated family properties.

Dorothea Wilson made it complicated when she transferred the property via Belle Wilson (her mother) on July 30, 1946 to the following relatives: herself, Virginia Wilson, Rosa E. Frey(Frye), Clinton Wilson, Leroy Wilson, Raymond Wilson, and Willie B. Wilson.

I noticed Percell Ray Wilson wasn’t listed. He died February 20, 1953, and was probably excluded from the 1946 deed because of his lack of employment. Looking at his entry on the 1950 census and his World War II draft card, he was not employed either of those times.

photo of property

Percell’s obit provides the information needed to show that Clinton, Raymond, Virginia, Willie B., and Doretha Wilson and Rosie Frye. So everyone on the 1946 deed are siblings. Why dear Lord, why? The obituary also mentioned he was the brother of Mrs. Mary Boswell and Nellie Blount and the uncle of Elizabeth Wooten and Herbert Blount. That’s somewhat important later.

Another, but minor, complication is where the property sits. It sat on lots 67 and 68 and 813. The same year Percell died, Doretha Wilson transferred lots 67 and 68 to the sibling group, which included Virginia, in August 1953.

Siblings Rosa Frye and Willie Beatrice Wilson took out a loan on the property in August of 1955. It was for 1683.36 at 6% interest from the Bank of Silver Spring.

And then nothing until 1975 when Michael Wooton becomes the new and sole owner of 402 R St NW. Remember little Michael the nephew from the 1950 census?

I’ve tried looking for more biographical information about Virginia, but I’ve gone down many rabbit holes and came up with nothing. So I will end it here.

Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Bennie & Edna Evans- 1602 4th St NW

Bennie L. and his wife Edna Evans owned 1602 4th St NW for a short period, from 1944 to 1950. They were there long enough to appear in the 1950 census living on 4th St. So this will be short.

photo of property

The Evans purchased the property May 4, 1944 from Nick and Helen Basiliko, the brother and sister-in-law of George Basiliko. The Basilikos show up frequently in the real property records. As a part of the purchase they were able to borrow $1,950 at 6% interest from trustees Herman Miller and J. Vernon Thomas. Six years later, they sold it on July 20, 1950 to Louis and Rena L. Rosenthal.

They were there in such short time it is hard to locate good information about who the Evans were. In the 1950 census, Bennie worked as a janitor for the railroad. Edna appears to have been a stay at home mom to their children Bessie Mae (16 years old) and Arvin (10 y.o.).

They had 2 roomers. Here I will note 1602 4th St NW has a basement unit with it’s own exterior entrance. I should also note their names are William and Lucille Robinson. There is a strong possibility that these may have been relatives. There is a record of Bennie Evans marrying Etta Robinson in Kershaw, SC in February 1934.

Bennie Leslie Evans was born September 28, 1904 in Camden, SC. At some point he moved over to 207 Randolph Pl NE. He retired with a Railroad pension and he died March 26, 1988.

Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Frank Freeman- 1643 New Jersey Ave NW

photo of property The problem with Frank Freeman is that the earliest record is from 1939. The other problem is he’s one of those owners who seemed to use their house like an ATM.

When I went to look at the Recorder of Deeds records, there was nothing prior to 1939 for lot 806. Looking at the 1933-34 General Assessment, the Murrays next door at 1645 NJ Ave NW, owned the property, which then was a vacant lot. The Kelsey Associates’ Historic Survey of Shaw East, which includes the odd side of New Jersey Ave NW, does not list 1643 NJ Av NW. There is a note in the July 24, 1954 Evening Star about owner Frank Freeman at 1643 New Jersey Av NW having a building built at 1210 Irving St NE. So there was something there.

Despite owning the property since 1939, if not before, he does not appear in the 1940 census. He shows up at 1643 NJ Av on his World War II draft card dated in April 1942 living in Apartment 2. 1643 New Jersey Ave NW is a multi-unit building, now they are condos.

Anyway, let’s get into the Recorder of Deeds records. Frank Freeman had about 13 loans between 1939 and 1972. Most of those loans were through the Perpetual Building Association, and various other individual trustees. Below I have listed the loans he took out. Continue reading Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Frank Freeman- 1643 New Jersey Ave NW

Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Sidney Dyson- 1645 New Jersey Ave NW

When we last left 1645 New Jersey Ave NW it was owned by Dr. Peter Murray and his wife Charlotte. They lost the house in 1932 to foreclosure. But on the upside, by relocating to New York City Dr. Murray’s career skyrocketed. As they say, if you can make it there….

So by a decade or so later, in April 1946 Charles, Sidney and Thomas Dyson became the new owners of 1645 NJ Av NW, buying it from the Washington Housing Corporation. By the 1950 census only Sidney Charles Dyson shows up as the sole resident of the house. It’s a short story so lets look into that.

When the three men purchased the property it appears they took out a loan with the institution that sold the property to them for $13,250 at 6% interest. In 1951 Charles Sidney Dyson sold his interest in the property to Sidney Dyson, his father. I’ll get into the family tree later. Right now I’m doing the land records. In 1954 there was another loan, $1,088.39 at 6% interest, from the Washington Housing Corporation where the three Dyson men all signed for it. Then it appears they defaulted on the debt from 1946 and in 1955 there was a trustees deed and the Washington Housing Corporation reclaimed the property.

Despite losing the house it appears it was still Sidney A. Dyson’s home after the foreclosure. 1645 New Jersey was listed as his home address when he died December 19, 1958.

The Dyson Family

Sidney Artis/Artic Dyson was born in Charles County, Maryland on October 4, 1883 to Sydney T. Dyson and Sophia Gillum. In the 1900 census he was one of nine children living in Nanjemoy, MD and working as a 16 year old laborer. In the 1910 census he was living in Piscataway, MD in PG county working in a saw mill with his wife Ella (nee Bowman) Dyson. They had three young sons, two of them were Charles Sidney and (Thomas) Roland.

On May 29, 1915, he was supposedly a widow and married Ms. Cenie/ Cenia Thomas. I couldn’t locate the family in the 1920 census.

In the 1930 he was a roomer living at 1848 5th St NW working as a taxi driver. He was married but not living with his wife.

He didn’t live with his wife as captured by the 1940 census. But he was living with his son Charles at 1645 New Jersey, as renters. They shared the property with the Edwards family. He was still a cab driver. His other son, Thomas R. Dyson was also working as a cab driver during the 1940 census. Thomas was living at 320 Maryland Ave SW with his wife Katherine, their son and a cousin. Earlier, in 1936 when he married (Katherine?) Lucille M. Robinson, he was living at 1511 Marion St (NW?), working as a truck driver. As far as I can tell, Thomas did not live on New Jersey Ave.

In Sidney A. Dyson’s obituary it read that he was the father of Mrs. Rhodis Owens, Mrs. Annitia Blair, Charles A. and Thomas R. Dyson. So two daughters I did not find in the record. He had a sister, Mrs. Sophie Green and a surviving brother George A. Dyson.

Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Maggie Taylor Strother- 404 R St NW

photo of property

It appears that Ms. Maggie Taylor bought 404 R St NW from Ethyl M. Rutty on November 3, 1926 for $3000. She borrowed $2,600 at 6% interest from trustees William P. Benson and Francis B. Saul.

Then there is a document from 1950 and I’m not sure what it is. It is labeled an ‘Agreement’ and an ‘Extension Agreement’ on the form. It appears that four promissory notes, totaling $1,650, a debt from Ethyl M. Rutty to Earl D. Thompson was extended by Maggie Taylor Strother. I looked and it appears to be a debt from 1926. This was settled in February 1954. And now I can’t tell if Taylor took on 2 debts or one to purchase the property.

Maggie Taylor Strother borrowed $1,290 in October 1952 from trustees David I. and Marge Abse. The next year she cleared her 1926 debt. In December 1953 she borrowed $2,800 from the Perpetual Building Association. February 1954 she settled the Abse debt.

Then there is another, concerning document, a ‘notice’ between Strother and the DC Department of Public Welfare from 1957. The document has her shaky signature. In 1958 there is a trustees deed, which means it went into foreclosure for the Perpetual Building Assoc. debt. Maybe the DC government’s involvement was an effort to save her from being removed from her home?

Unfortunately, Maggie Taylor was a common name and there were too many Maggie Taylors around to figure out which one was she. But I did find one little nugget. Maggie Taylor married William Strother in January 26, 1943. She was 58, he was 57. He died January 16, 1947 at his home, 404 R St NW.

Also she doesn’t show up in the 1930 census. Despite owning 404 R St NW since 1926, she didn’t seem to live there. In 1930 Dorothy Waters rented the house as the head, along with two lodgers from North Carolina. In the 1938 city directory and the 1940 census a Charles Long is listed as the occupant of 404 R NW. In the 1938 city directory, there are scores of Margret Taylors, one Maggie. That Maggie worked as a maid living at 1226 Congress Alley.

Afternote: I tried finding more information about Maggie Strother and searched by address. Didn’t find much. I did find that a Charles Hayden, 21 yrs and Claudette Williams, both of 404 R, filed for a marriage license in Fall of 1947.

Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: James R. Broaddus- 410 R St NW

A different Broaddus, spelled differently than the New Jersey Avenue Broadus, just one ‘d’.

photo of property

James Richard Broaddus was born November 28, 1884 in Monticello, Georgia to Marry V. Broaddus. During the draft for the first World War, he worked as a brick mason in Atlanta, Georgia. By the 1920 census he relocated to Washington, DC working as a clerk for the government. He lived as a lodger with Miner & Sallie Williams at 2248 13th St.

I don’t know when James married Mamie Traverse, daughter of Rev. Matthew W. Traverse and Mary E. Hall, step-daughter of Nettie. But they married and apparently had no children.

In December 1922 he bought 410 R St NW from Gertrude E. Holmes (she owned a whole lot of property around town) and borrowed $1,725 from trustees Henry J. Brown and Wriley J. Jacobs at 7% interest. Then in 1928 he borrowed $2100 from the National Savings and Trust Company at 6%. For some reason, his name is on a 1928 release of an October 1922 debt taken out by Gertrude E. Holmes. His first mortgage was settled in 1929 and the second in 1939.

James Broaddus does not show up in the 1930 census. In the 1934 city directory he is listed as Broadus (one d) living at 410 R St NW and working as a messenger at the Veterans Administration. When he filled out his draft card for World War II, at the age of 57, he listed Grady Carter as the person who would know where he’d live (next of kin). In the 1940 census he was listed as married but lived alone.

It was the 1950 census where he and Mamie are recorded as living together. The year 1950 is also the year when Mamie died. Not too long after that, James Broaddus died July 27, 1951. His surviving sister Irene B. Kenner of Cleveland, OH sold the property in 1957 to Edward Schweitzer.

One note, the lot number changed. 410 R St NW is now lot 807. It used to be lot 71.