WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 36 O 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.

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.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 36 O St NW:

  • June 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 36 O St NW to Evelyn M. and Henry T. Venson.
  • June 1951 the Vensons 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 36 O St NW to Lottie B. and Albert J. Paul.
  • March 1951 the Pauls borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • August 1954 the Vensons lost their half to foreclosure. Evans, Levin and Taube regained ownership via an auction.
  • November 1961 as part of a larger property package, new owner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold half of 36 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • December 1965 the Pauls paid off their mortgage.
  • July 1971 it appears that Basiliko sold his half to Housing System Dev. and Construction Corporation in a large property package. However…..
  • April 1978 Basiliko sold his half to Lottie B. and Linda Marie Paul, finally bringing the whole property under the Paul family.

So there was one foreclosure and it became a Basiliko property, but it has a happy ending with the Pauls.

Evelyn Venson (1926-1998)- PatriciaPeayBell originally shared this on Ancestry.com 24 Feb 2011

For fun, and because their names were unique, let’s look at the Vensons. According to an Ancestry family tree Henry Truitt Venson was born in 1918 in Atlanta, GA and died in 1964. During WWII he was living 1126 6th St NE, and his mother was in the TC at 1333 1st St NW. February 1955, his mother Hattie Venson Thrasher had been living at 43 Florida Ave NW. In 1959 he was charged with operating a lottery (running a numbers game), living on Morgan St. NW.

His wife, Evelyn Mary Robinson, was born the daughter of Madeline Swann and George W. Robinson April 7, 1926 in Washington, DC. She married Walter Bail Fields in 1943 and had a daughter Mary. In 1959 she married Henry T. Venson…. the dates aren’t lining up, but people are complicated. During the 1950 census she was separated, living with her parents and her children at 201 O St NW. In 1959 when she and Harry officially tied the knot, they were both living at 221 Morgan St NW, in Truxton Circle.

In 1954 the Vensons purchased 1625 4th St NW, also in Truxton Circle. However the previous owner was foreclosed upon and they lost that house too in 1956.

Evelyn moved to Rocky Mount, NC at some point, and that is the city where she died.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 24 O 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.

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.photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 24 O St NW:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 24 O NW to widow Ethel and her son Malvern F. Jackson.
  • February 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 24 O St NW to Irene M. and William P. McCall.
  • Jan 1951 the McCalls borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • September 1954 the McCalls lost their home to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
  • September 1954 the Jacksons sold the property back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • March 1959 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold 24 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. Basiliko did these with several other O Street houses. And like several properties on O Street, they were condemned by the city.

Anywho, there was one foreclosure. Colonial Investments bought back the property and this is not the only time they have done this.

Malvern F. Jackson Sr. (1930-2015)

Lastly, looking up the Jacksons, I discovered that Malvern Jackson was living at 18 O St NW in January 1951, when he applied for a marriage license to marry Genevieve E. Lynch. He and Genevieve had a baby boy in late August 1951.  He died in 2015, as a widower to Genevieve and survived the death of one of his sons. They had three children.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 22 O 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.

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.

photo of property

Let’s see what happens with 22 O St NW:

  • February, 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 22 O St NW to Flora V. and Richard T. Kidd.
  • February 1951 the Kidds 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 22 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.
  • May 1955 the Howards lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction the ownership returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube.
  • June 1957 the Kidds lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry Badt via an auction.
  • June 1957 (recorded July 1958) as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sell their interest in 22 O St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
  • March 1959 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold 22 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1971 the Basilikos, in a large property package, sold (doc 1971013980) 22 O St NW, along with a lot of other houses, to the Housing System Development and Construction Corp.

I’m going to stop at 1971. It is not sold to DC RLA but it was depressingly sold to George Basiliko.

*I noticed the Howards had bought 18 O St NW, next door. And they lost that to foreclosure too in June 1956.

So who were the Howards? They were an African American couple who for the most part lived in Prince George’s County Maryland. So I am not sure if they ever lived in DC during the time of their ownership.

Leroy Howard was born August 27, 1903 in Hertford County, North Carolina. His parents were John and Catherine Howard. He married the daughter of Ed and Annette (nee Gatling) Bonner, Bessie O. Bonner in 1921 in Perquimans, NC, when she was 18 and he was 21.

In the 1930 census the Howards lived in DC. Leroy Howard was listed as a 21 year old laborer renting 1021 50th St quadrant unknown. He lived there with wife, 25 years old, Bessie Howard and their three children Dorothy (7), John E (5), and Colee/ Cora L. (3).

By 1940, the Howards moved to PG County, and lived at 5149 Mash Street, Fairmount Heights, MD, a house they claimed to have owned. A quick look at Fairmount Height’s government website, it appears it was a Black community back then. I once knew where to find historic maps of PG Co. but I don’t feel like hunting them down. My skill set is DC.

The 1950 census had the Howards at 5114 Maple Road in Seat Pleasant, MD. The thing with the 1950 census, ownership status is unknown. Leroy was a self employed laborer. They lived with their three adult children and granddaughter Audrey Washington (1940-2006), daughter of Dorothy May Howard. Dorothy M. Washington also shows up in the 1950 census living in DC as a roomer without her daughter and separated from her husband Norman, living at 1-C 49th St SE.

Granddaughter Audrey Washington. Eastern HS 1957

I can’t find when Leroy died, but Bessie Olivia Howard appeared to have remarried sometime in the 1970s. According to the U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, she became Bessie Jenkins in 1975. She was born Oct 8, 1902 and died in 1979.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 137 Bates Street NW- It’s a foursome

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.

photo of property

I see that two couples (four people) bought this house. Instead of doing my usual format, I will tell the story of these Black homeowners differently.

January 26, 1951 George A. and Gladys L. Watson, along with Lizzie M. and Clayton Williams purchased 137 Bates Street NW from Colonial Investment. Like other buyers they used the only lenders allowed in these transactions, trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman. They borrowed $5,050 and paid it off in February 1963. That same year the property was sold/transferred to the Williams. In 1964, the Williams got a new mortgage with Republic Savings and Loan Association, which was paid off in 1981. Clayton died July 25, 1971 and Lizzie died July 13, 1997 and her estate sold the home in 2018 for $805.5K.

I could not find a lot of information about Clayton Williams, but I was able to find things about Lizzie. In the 1950 census she was living at 95 Fenton Place NE with her four children. Clayton was not there. She was listed as the head and working as a servant for a private household.

Negro tenement house. Fenton Place, N.E. near the Capitol building. Washington, D.C

George Albert Watson was born March 15, 1904 in Meriwether, Georgia. He married Gladys Elizabeth Littles in 1941 in Washington, DC. During WWII, he was working for the Zabans Mattress Company. Zabans seems to have been a Richmond company but possibly had a location in DC.

During the 1950 Census, George and Gladys were living at 4409 Falls Terrace SE, Apartment 4 with 7 year old daughter Jeresal F. and 4 year old son George Jr. George worked as a box spring maker and Gladys was a clerk typist for the Federal government. When she was single in 1940, she worked as a secretary’s assistant for the N.Y.A. Project. George died in 1967.

From Gladys’ obit: On Saturday, September 15, 2007 at Doctors Hospital of Lanham, MD. The beloved mother of Jearsel F. Watson and George A. (Lee Audrey) Watson, Jr.. Also survived by four grandchildren, three great grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

I could not find an obvious connection between the Williams and the Watsons.

1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1725 New Jersey Avenue

1700 Block NJ Ave NW, 1930. Brown= AfAm residents; White= No data

In this series of looking at the odd numbered side of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW from 1920 to 1930, I decided to look at the other end of the block. The change from 1920 to 1930 for most of the block was from white renters to black home owners. My post The sell off of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW pretty much explains the why.

photo of property

1920 White Renters

There were two households living at 1725 NJ Ave NW in 1920. The first was Thomas Errington (spelled Ewrington in the 1920 census), a Michigan born laborer and his family. The second, was Ernest L. McDowell, a Printer who worked at the Government Printing Office.

The Errington household consisted of 42 year old Thomas, his 51 year old wife Ida (previously Crutchfield) and their 5 year old adopted daughter, Mary Callahan. In the previous 1910 census, the couple lived at 505 Q St NW. He was a house porter and she worked as a dressmaker. Ida died after they moved from New Jersey Ave in 1921. In the 1930 census, Thomas had a new wife and family with stepdaughter and step-granddaughter in Baltimore. I could not locate Mary.

Ernest Linwood McDowell
Ernest McDowell

The McDowells consisted of 29 year old Ernest Linwood McDowell, his wife 24 year old Eunice (formerly Eunice Ruth Townsend) and 1 year old daughter Dorothy. Ernest was a printer at the GPO and had just married Eunice Ruth Townsend in 1917 in their hometown of Richmond, VA.

After they left New Jersey Ave NW they lived at 2207 Otis St NE and owned the home. By 1930, Ernest moved up to Proofreader at the GPO and he and Eunice had another daughter. They lived on Otis through to the 1950 census. Ernest died in 1963.

1930s Black Owners

According to the land records the owner in 1926 were Alice and George B. Oliver where in a deed they transfer the property to Henning C. Nelms who in the next document transferred it to Alice. A few months later the mortgage with W. Wallace Chiswell and Harry A. Kite was paid off or released. Alice owned the house until her death and the house was sold by her heirs in 1976.

Unfortunately, I could not find out much about the brother and sister George Bruce James Oliver and Alice Oliver prior to their time. They were both Black and born in Virginia. I was able to find George’s draft card to discover he was born in Danville, VA in 1898 and get his two middle names. That lead to finding his 1947 funeral notice where it mentions his wife Ruth, who does not show up in the 1940 census.

Speaking of the census. in 1930 George is listed as Alice’s brother. In 1940 he is listed as a lodger.

1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1727 New Jersey Avenue

1700 Block NJ Ave NW, 1930. Brown= AfAm residents; White= No data

In this series of looking at the odd numbered side of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW from 1920 to 1930, I decided to look at the other end of the block. The change from 1920 to 1930 for most of the block was from white renters to black home owners. My post The sell off of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW pretty much explains the why.

So let’s look at the residents of 1727 New Jersey from 1920 to 1930.photo of property

The White Renters

In the 1920 census there was one family occupying 1727 New Jersey Ave NW. It was headed by a 59 year old “widow” Mary A. Moore. She was a Massachusetts born Irish American. She lived in the house with her adult children and 45 year old roomer. Her son John J. Moore was a 30 year old self-employed artist with is own studio. Her 26 year old daughter Margarite worked as a clerk for War Risk in the Treasury Department.

The 1930 census shows that Mary wasn’t widowed. Her husband Richard F. Moore was alive and well and living with his family at 913 Jackson St NE. Son John J. was a commercial artist and owner of the home. Daughter Marguerite was 38 year old lawyer for the Federal government. The children were still single.

Moving forward to the 1950 census, Marguerite C. Moore was an attorney for the VA. She lived with her brother, who also did not marry, still worked as a commercial artist making about $30K which was very good money in 1950.

The Black Owners

The DC Recorder of Deeds records aren’t helpful. The buyer Addie E. Webb purchased the home February 1921, and paid off the loan in February of 1924. And that’s the last that is heard from Webb. In 1935 there is a judgement where William Dodson had to relinquish 1727 NJ Ave NW to Mamie Smith. The judgement doesn’t say why.

Addie E. Webb was an African American hairdresser. In 1920 she was 50 years old and lived at 1514 S St NW. It appears she shared an apartment or something with a 40 year old woman named Ida Smith who was also a hairdresser that census year. Ida (nee Roane) had been Addie’s landlady back in the 1900 census, when Addie lived with Arthur S. Smith, Ida and Ida’s mother and brother, and Arthur’s cousin James Watkins.

I’ll take a guess Addie did not make it to the 1930 census.

I have no idea who William Dodson was and how he came into possession of the property. In the 1910 census Addie lived with Ida Smith and Addie’s daughter, public school teacher Helen (Ellen?) F. Webb. She doesn’t show up in the long list of people who signed off in selling the property in 1939 along with Mamie Smith. Could Mamie Smith be related to Ida Smith? A C. William Webb is mentioned in the legal notice about the 1936 judgement. In an 1935 article in the Afro-American, it appears C. William Webb, son of Addie, disappeared and had been missing for 30 years. Mamie Smith was one of his heirs. One of many. So they went to court to get a hold of the property to sell it and split the estate.

The Black Renters

So if Addie Webb did not make it to the 1930 census, then who was there in 1930? Wade Shields a 31 year old barber who was renting the property with five female lodgers. In 1928, he was living or operating out of 17 Fenton NE. In 1922 Wade married Gladys Rodgers. They were not living together in this census.

As for the lodgers with Mr. Shields, one was a woman, and the remaining females were minor children. Rose Johnson was the adult, a 28 year old hair dresser. The eldest child was Thelma Pryor a 16 year old who worked in a laundry. Pryor’s mother was Lucille Johnson and it appears Rose and Thelma were related, as they share a headstone. I don’t see any relationship with Mr. Shields or his missing wife, except for the profession of working with Black hair. This is something they shared with the previous owner Addie Webb. The other girls were 11, 10 and three years old and listed as lodgers. I wonder if they were foster children?

1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1729 New Jersey Avenue

1700 Block NJ Ave NW, 1930. Brown= AfAm residents; White= No data

In this series of looking at the odd numbered side of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW from 1920 to 1930, I decided to look at the other end of the block. The change from 1920 to 1930 for most of the block was from white renters to black home owners. My post The sell off of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW pretty much explains the why.

photo of property

The Renters

The couple renting 1729 NJ Ave NW was fairly old. The head, George P. Blair was 66 years old in 1920 and his wife, Annie (nee West) was 62. They lived with their two very adult sons and two adult daughters. George was born in Jessups Cut, MD in 1853 to Scottish or Irish parents. In 1910 the family lived at 631 T St NW when George Peter was a barber.

In 1920 George Sr. worked as a watchman for a dry goods store. His 37 year old son George P. Jr. was a clerk for a field service and 36 year old James Clinton Blair was a clerk at a furniture store. Thirty-three year old daughter Fannie May Blair was a sales woman at J M Gidding and Co. The youngest, Bernice, 23, did not have a job.

George Sr. died in 1927. He was survived by his wife and two surviving children, James and Bernice. James had moved to Cleveland, OH. Annie and Bernice, who worked as a cashier, lived on Girard St NW. Annie Blair eventually died, December 30, 1938 at 1114 Monroe Street NW at the age of 80.

The Owners

1729 NJ Ave NW (Sq. 507, lot 24) sold from M. Harvey Chiswell to Ida M. Smith then to Arthur B. Wall around February 1921. That same month Smith sold it to Arthur B. Wall, according to the Washington Herald.

However the earliest document found for lot 24 is from 1928 and the owner was Anna Grayson. There was a 1928 release for a February 12, 1921 loan Grayson had with Chiswell and Kite. In 1928 it appears she borrowed $3,400 from trustees Stuart V. Davis and Edward McDermott. She had other loans, but it was this one that was the instrument that allowed for the 1931 foreclosure and the transfer of ownership to Leo and Mavina Kahn.

The residents at 1729 NJ Av NW, according to the 1930 census, contained the African American Grayson family.  George W. Grayson, was the 62 year old head, Anna (nee Lee) was his 59 year wife. They lived there with their widowed son, 36 year old George Jr. and 28 year old daughter Mrs. Evelyn Chantrelle.

Prior to NJ Ave, the Grayson family lived at 1469 Church St NW as renters in 1920. They lived with their daughters and son-in-law. George Sr. was a laborer for a motor company. Anna was a housekeeper for a boarding house. Daughter Juanita was a waitress at a restaurant and husband Clifton W. Kelly was a paper cutter.

George Sr. died January 29, 1931 and it appears this was the thing to have the family fall apart. Remember this was the same year the Graysons lost the home to foreclosure. Anne died December 10, 1941. I looked for her in the 1940 census, but I can’t find her.

1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1733 New Jersey Avenue

1700 Block NJ Ave NW, 1930. Brown= AfAm residents; White= No data

In this series of looking at the odd numbered side of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW from 1920 to 1930, I decided to look at the other end of the block. The change from 1920 to 1930 for most of the block was from white renters to black home owners. My post The sell off of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW pretty much explains the why.

At this point, I’m just seeing who lived there, where did they go, where did they live before, and who were the African American buyers who purchased the property and where did they live before.

1920 Renters

There were two white households living at 1733 New Jersey Ave NW in 1920. The Tidmeyers (actually Widmire), headed by 47 year old plasterer Charles, and the Millers headed by 30 year old driver John. Neither household had children in their households at the time.

I can’t give a history for the Millers because there was another John Miller in DC, living on Wisconsin Ave NW, married to a Florence. Their birthyears are around about the same time. But the John Miller at 1733 was married to Flossie and drove an ice cream wagon. I need to note his neighbor at 1731 also drove an ice cream wagon.

Ancestry confuses Charles F. Widmeyer who was also married to an Elizabeth with Charles A. Widmire married to Bessie (a variant of Elizabeth). The tip off was that Chas. F’s wife died in 1907. So I am not 100% sure I picking a Chuck based off my best guess.

Charles was born in Washington, DC around 1870 to German parents. He married Bessie around 1890. Bessie brought 3 sons (Eugene, John J. and Frank Convoy) into the marriage and together had daughter Helen. In 1900 and 1910 the family lived at 520 R St NW. 1920 was not a good year for Charles. In the Evening Star he brought a complaint to the Rent Commission in March 1920. It appears the commission made their decision late in the year after M. Chiswell sold the property. The new owners, the Whiteheads could up the rent to $40. Charles died March 18, 1949 at 1227 6th St NW, and was predeceased by his wife.

The Owners

1733 NJ Ave NW (Sq. 507, lot 26) based on a July 1926 release from a loan with W. Wallace Chiswell, Harry A. Kite, James A. and Coralie Whitehead purchased the property November 1, 1920.

James Arthur Whitehead was born Continue reading 1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1733 New Jersey Avenue

Redlining and Truxton Circle teaser

I’d been quite busy with preparing for the DC History Conference and while writing up my presentation I discovered redlining in Truxton Circle.

I had previously thought red lining did not apply to Truxton Circle. Black homeowners bought and sold homes and used institutional and private lenders to get mortgages. The definition I had heard was the complete lack of financial sources.

As I was rewriting my script for the conference, I put two separate ideas together and the scales fell from my eyes. I saw it as clear as day. Which then meant I had to rewrite my whole pitch.

I do plan to share this revelation but it needs to be a several part series. This is my teaser.

1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1737 New Jersey Avenue

1700 Block NJ Ave NW, 1930. Brown= AfAm residents; White= No data

In this series of looking at the odd numbered side of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW from 1920 to 1930, I decided to look at the other end of the block. The change from 1920 to 1930 for most of the block was from white renters to black home owners. My post The sell off of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW pretty much explains the why.

At this point, I’m just seeing who lived there, where did they go, where did they live before, and who were the African American buyers who purchased the property and where did they live before.

1920 Renters

There were two White families recorded as living at 1737 NJ Ave NW in the 1920 census. The first family was 36 year old piano polisher Alfred Fowler and his 46 year old wife Mary E. Fowler. The second family were the Sissons (spelled Sison in the 1920 census). William Sisson was 35 year old father and husband working as a machinist at the Navy Yard. He lived with 25 year old wife Mary A. (nee Noyes) and 1 month old son William L. Continue reading 1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1737 New Jersey Avenue