Tag: neighborhood 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 202 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 202 Bates NW to Louis and Mattie C. Cunningham.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Cunninghams borrowed $2,525 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1950 (recorded Feb 1, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 202 Bates St NW to Frank and Nora Coleman.
• December 1950 (recorded Feb 1, 1951) the Colemans borrowed $2,525 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• May 1956 the Colemans lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction it returned to the ownership of Evans, Levin and Taube.
• June 1958 the Cunninghams lost their half to foreclosure and through an auction Colonial Investment partners Harry A. Badt, James B, Evans, and Nathaniel J. Taube.
• June 1958, as part of a property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sold their interest in 202 Bates St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• March 1959, as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, Levin’s survivors, and their spouses sold 202 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• Between 1971/72 and 1982 Basiliko sold the house. I suspect to DC RLA but I can’t find the document for that and other properties.
• April 1982 the BSA Limited Partnership sold/ transferred the house to the District of Columbia government.
• January 1983 the District of Columbia government sold it to its current owner.

Well that was short. Sold in parts, and both parts foreclosed upon and landing in the portfolio of a slumlord within 9 years.

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 200 Bates St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 200 Bates St NW to Ida J. and James W. Grayson.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Graysons borrowed $3,025 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 200 Bates St NW to Cleo T. and William Willis.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Willis borrowed $3,025 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• August 1956 the Willis family lost their home to foreclosure and with an auction it returned to Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt.
• August 1956 (recorded 8/1958) as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transferred their interest in 200 Bates St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961 the Graysons lost their half to foreclosure and via an auction the property went back to Evans, Taube and the Nathan Levin survivors.
• November 1961, as part of a larger property package, Evans, Taube, Levin’s survivors and their spouses sold 200 Bates St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• November 1971, the Basilikos sold 200 and 204 Bates Street NW (document 1971023182) to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• Sometime after 1971 the DC RLA transferred or sold the property to the BSA Limited Partnership.
• April 1982 the BSA Limited Partnership sold the property back to the District of Columbia government.

Let’s go down the checklist: Property sold in halves, check. Foreclosures, check. George Basiliko ownership, check. DC RLA ownership, check. Just another sad WSIC story.

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 219 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 219 P NW to Ethel M. and Jacob S. Miller.
• December 1950 (recorded Jan 18, 1951) the Millers 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 219 P St NW to Arthur and Blumne Lipscomb.
• Feb 1951 Mitchell borrowed $3,400 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1952 the Lipscombs transferred their half to Margaret Johnson who transferred it back to Arthur Lipscomb and Blumer Whitehead, who I will assume is the same person as Blumne Lipscomb.
• October 1961 the Millers are released from their mortgage, owning their half free and clear.
• April 1962 the Lipscomb mortgage is released.
• August 1970, Shellie F, Bowers administrator for the estate of Henry A. Lipscomb sold his interest to Elizabeth Edwards.
• August 1988, Elizabeth Edwards was noted to have a 1/4 interest in 219 P St, sold her interest, as well as the heir-at-law of Blumer Whitehead (died 6/30/1985) to Freda D. and Junella M. Gaines.

I have no idea what happened to the Millers. It’s safe to assume they died. They just disappeared. Junella A. Gaines was the heir of the Millers as there is a water sewer lien sent to them in 1986, two years before the other half of the house was sold her. There is a 2002 Quit Claim Deed stating that the Gaines were heirs of the Millers.

As we can see from the 2004 photo above, the house was abandoned and vacant in total. The city condemned the property in October of 2004 when it was owned by FDG Funding Services.

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 1537 3rd St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 1537 3rd St NW to Mattie and Walter Quarles.
• January 1951 the Quarles borrowed $7,050 from Colonial Capitol Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• October 1953 the Quarles lost their home to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• November 1953, Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 1537 3rd St NW to divorcee Nettie Glover.
• November 1953, Glover borrowed $4,054.64 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• November 1953, Evans, Levins and Taube sold the other half to Marchel and Vera R. Davis.
• November 1953, Mr. and Mrs. Davis borrowed $4,054.65 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• November 1955, the Davis family lost their half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin, and Taube via an auction.
• February 1958, Nettie Glover lost her half to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry A. Badt via an auction.
• February 1958, as part of a larger package,  the Badts (Harry & wife Jennie), transferred their interest in 1537 3rd St NW to Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961, as part of a large property package, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors, and the Badts, as part of a larger property package, sold 1537 3rd St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• July 1970, as part of a very large property package, (document 1970011877) the Basilikos sold 1537 3rd St NW to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• August 1979, as part of a large property package, DC RLA sold the property to the Bates Street Associates.

Okay, let’s check the WSIC checklist of sadness and doom.  Sold half of a house, eventually, check. Foreclosure, check, check and check. Sold to Basilikos who then sold to DC RLA, check and 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 were the odd lucky ones who managed to avoid that fate.

Let’s see what happens with 208 Q St NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 208 Q NW to divorcee Elizabeth Carter.
• January 1951 Mrs. Carter borrowed $3,275 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1951 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 208 Q St NW to William T. and Lylibelle Banks.
• Jan 1951 the Banks borrowed $3,275 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• January 1953 the Banks lost their home to foreclosure and the property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
• February 1953 Evans, Levin, and Taube resold the foreclosed property to John and Marie E. Dunston.
• February 1953 the Dunstons borrowed $3,776.75 from Levin and Weightman.
• July 1958 Mrs. Carter lost her half to foreclosure and Evans, Taube and new partner Harry A. Badt regained ownership of the property via an auction.
• July 1958, as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sold their interest in 208 Q St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961 as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold their half the property to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• November 1966 the Dunstons were free of their mortgage with Levin and Weightman and owned their home free and clear.
• May 1974 the Dunstons sold their half of the property to Edith C. and Ralph E. Deane.
• August 1974 George Basiliko Inc sold his half to Edith C. and Ralph E. Deane, bringing the property under a single household.

Alls well that ends well. The Deanes owned 208 Q St NW from 1974-2003. So despite foreclosures and a period of Basiliko ownership, it turned out fine.

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 217 P St NW:

• December 1950 (recorded February 5, 1951) Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 217 P St NW to Archie S. and Blanche M. Young.
• December 1950 (recorded Feb 5, 1951) the Youngs borrowed $3,000 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• December 1950 (recorded February 14, 1951) Evans, Levin, and Taube sold the other half of 217 P St NW to Richard R. and Susie Saunders.
• December 1950 (recorded February 14, 1951) the Saunders borrowed $3,000 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• April 1958 the Youngs lost their half of the property to foreclosure and via an auction, the property was returned to Evans, Taube and new Colonial Inv. Co partner Harry A. Badt.
• April 1958, as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transferred/sold their interest in this and several properties to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• June 1959, as part of a large property package the foreclosed half of 217 P St NW was sold to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• September 1959 the Saunders lost their half to foreclosure and through an auction the property returned to Badt, Evans, and Taube.
• September 1959, as part of a larger property package, Harry and Jennie Badt transferred/sold their interest in 217 P St NW and several properties to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• February 1961, along with 2 other properties, Badt, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold the remaining half to George Basiliko.
• Sometime between 1971/1973 and 1980 Basiliko sold 217 P St NW to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA).
• June 1980, as part of a bigger property package, the DC RLA sold the house to the BSA Limited Partnership.

So this fits the pattern, where 2 halves are sold and they both wind up in foreclosure to end up in the hands of George Basiliko and later 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 20 O St NW (Square 0617, lot 180 & 235):

• February 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold one-half of 20 O St NW to James E. and Shirley C. Johnson.
• February 1951 the Johnsons 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 half of 20 O St NW to widow Vera Rodgers.
• February 1951 Rodgers borrowed $3,125 from trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• August 1952 the Johnsons lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Levin and Taube via an auction.
• September 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube sold that half to Hester (unmarried) and Milton (married) Jackson.
• September 1952 the Jacksons borrowed $4,101.83 from Levin and Weightman.
• May 1954, Mrs. Rodgers transferred her half to Lillian M. McGowan who immediately transferred it back to Mrs. Rodgers now Patterson and her new spouse Elmer E. Patterson.
• November 1957, the Jacksons lost their half to foreclosure. The property returned to Evans, Taube, and new partner Harry Badt via an auction.
• November 1957 as part of a larger property package, the Badts (Harry A. and wife Jennie) transfer/sell their interest in 20 O St NW to Nathan Levin’s survivors.
• November 1961, as part of a larger property package, Badt, Evans, Taube, their wives and Levin’s survivors sold 20 O St NW to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• July 1971, as part of a larger property package (document 1971013980) Basiliko sold the property to the Housing System Development and Construction Corp.
• November 1972, as part of a large property package, the Housing System Development and Construction Corp. sold 20 O St NW to Lyda E. and Robert L. Busby and Thomas H. Ryon Management Company.
• May 1978, Mrs. Patterson, a widow again (Elmer died 8/15/1964), sold her half to Jerry W. Wood.
• October 1984, after other owners, Jerry W. Wood bought the other half of 20 O St NW, bringing it under one owner.

Although half of this home wound up in the hands of George Basiliko it did not become part of the DC Redevelopment Land Agency’s portfolio. There were two foreclosures. On the plus side someone managed to hold on to half of the property from 1951-1978.

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 230 Bates Street NW:

• January 1951 Evans, Levin and Taube sold all of 230 Bates Street NW to Joseph and Frances L. Jackson.
• January 1951 the Jacksons borrowed $7,050 from Colonial Investment Co. favorite trustees Abraham H. Levin and Robert G. Weightman.
• March 1952 the Jacksons sold the house back to Evans, Levin and Taube. (Released from mortgage May 1962)
• May 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube sold half of 230 Bates St NW to Leroy and Bernice L. Fennell.
• May 1952 the Fennells borrowed $3,882.29 from Weightman and Levin.
• June 1952 Evans, Levin and Taube sold the other half to Booker T. Baird, Booker T. Henderson, and Trueolla Q. Henderson.
• June 1952 Baird and the Henderson borrowed $3,898.38 from Weightman and Levin.
• August 1952 the Fennells sold their half back to Evans, Levin, and Taube. (Released from loan January 1953)
• September 1952 Evans, Levin, and Taube sold that half to Martha Lee and Thornton James Leathers.
• September 1952 the Leathers borrowed $4,097.06 from lenders Levin and Weightman.
• July 1957 Booker T. Henderson removed his wife’s name from the deed.
• November 1961 the Leathers lost their half of 230 Bates St NW to foreclosure. Evans, Taube and Levin’s survivors regained the property via an auction.
• November 1961, as part of a larger property package, new partner Harry A. Badt, Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold 230 Bates to Sophia and George Basiliko.
• December 1963 Evans, Taube, the Levin survivors and their spouses sold 230 Bates to George Basiliko. Was this the Henderson half? Not sure what happened to Booker T. Henderson.
• Sometime between 1971 and 1980 Basiliko sold/transferred the property to the DC Redevelopment Land Agency.
• June 1980, as part of a larger property package, the DC Redevelopment Land Agency (RLA) sold the property to BSA Limited Partnership.

This was a confusing property, getting sold and resold several times. It was sold as a whole. It was sold in parts. The sole lender for most regular buyers was Weightman and Levin. It eventually wound up in the hands of George Basiliko and the RLA.