Tag: neighborhood history

Bad Photocopy- Odd 200 Blk of Bates St NW circa 1960-1970s

This was a bit of a mystery. This image is a photocopy of a black and white photograph. My notes say 100 block of Bates St NW looking west. I see the house at the end of the street, which makes it either 3rd or 1st St NW. Then there are those decorative balls on the top of the houses.

Looks like Bates St NW looking towards 3rd St NW.

Using Google Street View I attempted to find those decorative items on the roof line.

No dice on the first look.

I am guessing the photographs were taken in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  The Google Street View is from 2019, well after a fair amount of renovation work. But on the other hand this area experienced a fair amount of disinvestment after the original builder and owner, the Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) sold its rentals. Many of those rentals wound up in the hands of George Basiliko who had many a housing violation.

Something that hints of those decorative balls appear on the tops of 225-229 Bates St NW. The tops of a curve remain. The balls are long gone. It is hard to tell with the tree cover looking at Google Street View. Even if I still lived in Truxton Circle, it’s currently cold, so I probably wouldn’t venture out to look with my own eyes.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 222 Q 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.

  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/51) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 222 Q St NW to Clarence Gayles.
  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/1951) Mr. Gayles borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other one-half of 222 Q St NW to Mildred and Willie E. Sessoms.
  • February 1951 the Sessoms borrowed $3,275 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • January 1951 (recorded 5/1/1951) Gayles sold his half to Sylvia and Clayton Watson.
  • Unfortunately, June 1958 Gayles (the Watsons) lost their half to foreclosure and via auction, it was returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt.
  • June 1958 (recorded 11/14/1958) The Badts (Harry & wife) transferred their interest in this and other properties to Nathan Levin’s family (wife Rose, children Lawrence, Myron Levin and Ruth Wagman).
  • June 1959, as part of a larger package, Evans, Taube, Badt (and their wives) and Levin’s survivors sell their interest in 222 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • March 1962 the Sessoms paid off their mortgage.
  • February and March 1978 Delores Simpkins purchased both halves of 222 Q St NW from widower Willie Sessoms and George Basiliko.

This property, despite part of it falling under George Basiliko’s ownership, did not transfer over to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 220 Q 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 see what happens with 220 Q Street NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/51) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 220 Q St NW to Ernestine and John Dawson.
  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/1951) the Dawsons 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 220 Q St NW to Mary C. and William Robinson.
  • January 1951 the Robinsons borrowed $3,275 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • September 1953 the Dawsons lost their half of the house to foreclosure, and Evans, Levin, and Taube regained the property via an auction.
  • September 1953 (recorded 10/1/1953) sold half of 220 to Phylitus O Norris.
  • September 1953 (recorded 10/1/1953) Ms. Norris borrowed $3,888.43 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1954 the Robinsons lost their half to foreclosure, and Evans, Levin, and Taube regained the property via an auction.
  • March 1955 Ms. Norris sold her half back to Evans, Levin, and Taube.
  • March 1959 as part of a larger package, Evans, Taube, and Levin’s survivors sell all of 220 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1970, the Basilikos, as part of a larger property package, sell 220 Q St NW to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 218 Q 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 see what happens with 218 Q Street NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/51) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 218 Q St NW to Mary A. Hall.
  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/1951) Ms. Hall 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 one-half of 218 Q St NW to Helen R. and Walter Roberson.
  • January 1951 the Robersons borrowed $3,275 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • May 1953 the Robersons borrow $682.98 from trustees Roland Brown Jr and Jacob Sandler to pay a debt from Consolidated & Engineering Co., Inc.
  • December 1955 (recorded 2/2/1956) Ms. Hall sold her half of 218 Q St NW back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • January/ February 1958 the Robersons lost their half of 218 Q St NW to foreclosure. The property, via auction, it was returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt.
  • February 1958 (recorded 7/3/1958) as part of a larger package, Evans, Taube, Badt (and their wives) and Levin’s survivors sell their interest in 218 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • Eventually, July 1970, the Basilikos, as part of a larger property package, sell 218 Q St NW to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 14 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 was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

photo of property

The history of 14 O Street NW went as so:

  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 14 O St NW Marguerite and Vincent J. Edmondson.
  • February 1951 the Edmondsons borrowed $3,375 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half of 14 O St NW to Annie W. and William J. Jackson Jr.
  • February 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $3,375 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • 08/03/1956 the Edmondsons sold their half to Mary Dyson Lane.
  • December 1955 (recorded January 1958) the Jacksons sold their half back to Evans, Levin and Taube.
  • February 1960 the Edmondsons were foreclosed upon and the property returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt. Mary Dayson Lane’s name appears in later documents relating to building’s condemnation in 1977.
  • February 1960 (recorded in May) the Badts transferred/sold their interest in 14 O St NW to Levin’s survivors as part of a larger property package.
  • November 1961 Badt, Evan, Taube, their wives (for legal reasons) and the survivors of Levin (and their spouses) sold 14 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko as part of a larger property package.
  • In 1971 George Basiliko sold part(?) 14 O St NW to Housing System Development and Construction Corp as part of a larger property package.
  • April 1978 George Basiliko sold (his remaining interest?) in 14 O St NW to the O Street Properties Partnership.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 224 Q 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 was the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

photo of property

Let’s look at the post WSIC history of 224 Q St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/51) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 224 Q St NW to Sarah B. Carroll.
  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/1951) the widow Sarah Carroll borrowed $3,125 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/51) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 224 Q St NW to Christine B. and Jesse J. Carter.
  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/1951) the Carters borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • August 1953 Mrs. Carroll lost her half of 224 Q St NW to foreclosure and via auction, it was returned to Evans, Taube and Levin.
  • September 1953 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 224 Q St NW to Freda A. and Zollie Lumberger. *Side note- they were a Black couple. See Zollie’s brother’s obit w/ picture.
  • September 1953 the Lumbergers borrowed $3,888.43 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • July 1954 the Carters lost their half of the property to foreclosure and via auction, it was returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube.
  • June 1959 as part of a larger package, Evans, Taube, new partner Harry A. Badt (and their wives) and Levin’s survivors sell their interest in 200 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • April 1969 the Lumbergers settled their debt with trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.

It appears that this property was not sold to RLA and I can’t tell if and when it was consolidated under one owner.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 210 Q 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 post WSIC history of 210 Q St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold 210 Q St NW to Samuel H. and Virginia B. Divers.
  • December 1950 (recorded 1/18/1951) the Divers borrowed $6,250 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • February 1959 (recorded 6/18/1959) the Divers lose their home to foreclosure and Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt regain 210 Q St NW via auction.
  • February 1959 (recorded 9/23/1959) as part of a larger property package, Badt & his wife transfer interest in 210 Q St NW to Levin’s survivors.
  • November 1961 (recorded 1/5/1962), as part of a larger package, Evans, Taube, Badt (and their wives) and Levin’s survivors sell their interest in 210 Q St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • July 1970, as part of a larger property package, the Basilikos sell the property to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency.

And so this follows the usual story of foreclosure, transfer to George Basiliko and then Basiliko’s sell off to RLA in possibly a sweetheart deal.

Bad Photocopy-Unit Block of Bates St NW circa 1960-something

Bates Street NW facing West. Northside of street.

Another photo to break up the monotony of posts about the Washington Sanitary Improvement Co.’s sell off of their rental stock to people (followed by foreclosures). These images are from a pile of photocopies of photographs I found in an archive.

Judging from the arches in the doorways, this is the unit block of Bates Street NW. Judging from the cars parked on the street I’m guessing mid-late 1960s.

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 1503 3rd Street NW

There are a lot of these houses. I’m just going to publish these in big batches.

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 see what happened with 1503 3rd St NW:

  • December 1950 (recorded Jan 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of (not half) 1503 3rd St NW to James W. Smith.
  • December 1950 Mr. Smith borrowed $7,950 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • November 1951 (recorded in 1952) Smith sold the property to Miss Edith E. Matthews, and she sold back to him half of 1503 3rd St NW.
  • Same November 1951 day Miss. Matthews sold the other half to Bell and George Myers Jr.
  • November 1951, the Myers borrowed $3,750 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1957 the Myers lost their home to foreclosure and Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt regained ownership via an auction.
  • 7/3/1958 The Badts (Harry & wife) transferred their interest in this and other properties to Nathan Levin’s family (wife Rose, children Lawrence, Myron Levin and Ruth Wagman).
  • November 1961, James W. Smith fulfilled his loan obligations.
  • November 1961 the Badts, Evans, Taubes, and Wagmans sold the remaining half and other properties in a large package to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • December 1971 Basiliko and James Smith’s heirs sold the property to the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).

WSIC-1950 Sell Off- 1507 3rd Street NW

There are a lot of these houses. I’m just going to publish these in big batches.

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 1507 3rd St NW:

  • January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one half of 1507 3rd St NW to Rosie B. and Joseph King.
  • January 1951 the Kings borrowed $3,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • December 1950, Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half of 1507 3rd St NW to Lucille Moore Nauls and Thelma A. Triplin.
  • December 1950, Nauls and Triplin borrowed $3,375 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
  • October 1958, the Kings sold their half back to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt.
  • February 1960 Lucille M. (formerly Nauls) Ransom, her husband Ernest W. Ransom and Thelma A. Triplin sold the property back to Evans, Taube and Badt.
  • November 1961 the Badts, Evans, Taubes, and Wagmans sold 1507 3rd St NW and other properties in a large package to Sophia and George Basiliko.
  • At some point between 1971 and 1973 the District of Columbia Redevelopment Land Agency obtained ownership of the property.

As a side note, in 1973 the house was condemned. The condemnation was cancelled in 1974. The condemned again in 1981.