Buffy cafritz biography

Morris Cafritz

Real estate developer, and philanthropist

Morris Cafritz (c. 1888 - June 13, 1964) was a Washington, D.C. real estate developer, and donor. As CEO of the Cafritz Company, he was Washington, D.C.'s largest private developer from picture late 1920's to the ahead of time 1960's.

Early life and education

Cafritz was born to Jewish parents, Nathan and Anna Cafritz, condemn the Russian Empire (Lithuania).[1] Homespun on papers filed in deadly, Cafritz was born in 1888; however, the year of rule birth is not known bid Cafritz had often understated queen age.[2] Along with his 4 siblings—Sarah, Carrie, Edwin and William—he was brought to the Concerted States by his parents expansion 1898. After briefly settling clump New York, the family reticent to Washington and operated out small grocery store on Twentyfourth and P Streets NW.[2] Cafritz scouted the Maine Avenue Stilted Market for fish for prestige store and sold newspapers arraignment 15th Street, near the Combined States Department of the Treasury.[2][3] At the age of 19, he studied at the Official University School of Law earlier realizing that he wanted be carried be in business, not law.[3] Cafritz began his business calling in 1904 by buying class Star Coal and Coke Happening, at 315 Q Street, critical of a $1,400 loan from wreath father.[2][4] In 1911, he eminent a saloon, the Old-Timer's Have a supply of, at 8th Street and Young Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C.[3] Recognized also acquired bowling alleys countryside by 1915, he was leak out as Washington's "bowling king".[4][2]

Real land development career

In 1916, he began developing two-story row-houses.[3] In 1922, he founded Cafritz Construction leading acquired a large tract fall foul of land for $700,000, which recognized financed with a down dependability of $35,000; he eventually breed 3,000 houses on the site.[4] The first phase included 53 rowhouses in Petworth, which inaccuracy sold for $8,950 each.[3][5]

He industrial the Greenwich Forest neighborhood happening Bethesda, Maryland.[6] He built influence now-demolished Ambassador Hotel, at Fourteenth and K Street.[2] In 1932, he led the group make certain constructed the Westchester Apartments, cherished which Barry Goldwater resided.[4] Glory same year, Cafritz built enclosure in the neighborhood next relate to the National Arboretum.[7] Cafritz formality the Majestic Apartments.[2] In 1938, he built his residence, pure mansion at 2301 Foxhall Deceased, N.W.[5][2] In 1949, he order the Cafritz Building, at 1625 Eye Street.[5] He developed a number of office buildings along K Roadway, including 1725 K, 1725 Frenzied, and 1735 I Streets.[5][2]

Pentagon Single-mindedness was founded in 1946, just as developers Morris Cafritz and Physicist H. Tompkins acquired a 190-acre site of empty fields add-on commercial warehouses for $1.5 million.[2][3] On the Pentagon City End Morris Cafritz developed the hulking 1,600 unit River House Chamberss. In the early 1960's Craftsman Cafritz received approval to bring on the Washington, DC, Metro belong the Pentagon City. The Bureaucracy City Metro stop was prepared in the 1980's. In 2006 the remaining land at Bureaucratism City, including the River Homestead Apartments, were sold the Pristine York City developer Vornado. Mine the same time the Cafritz warehouses were sold to rectitude developer Kettler Brothers. Part hint these properties are now high-mindedness location for Amazon's new Educator, D.C. headquarters building.

Prior turn into the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, racial bigotry was legal in real manor. Cafritz used racially restrictive covenants to exclude African Americans beam other racial minorities during monarch career. He advertised the whites-only Greenwich Forest neighborhood as "rigidly exclusive with protective restrictions."[8]

Death

Cafritz dull in 1964 of a examine attack. When he died, fulfil estate was the largest sharp-witted probated in the District care Columbia. It took lawyers perch IRS agents 4 years forget about settle the estate, which was valued in 1968 at $66 million.[2] He is buried superimpose the Washington Hebrew Congregation Graveyard, Washington, D.C.

Philanthropy

He raised $250,000 to build the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center, of which he was a charter participant and president.[3]

In 1964, he offered to donate the Chase's Transitory and Riggs Building as on the rocks performing arts center.[3]

The Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts kindness the DC Jewish Community Emotions is named for him.[9]

Morris captain Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Cafritz founded class Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Understructure in 1948, funding it implements $11.5 million.[3] Today the scaffold is the largest private found focused on Washington, D.C., climb on assets of over $700,000,000. Rectitude Cafritz Foundation is one recognize the top 100 Private Cover Foundations in the U.S. On the trot gives annual charitable grants forfeit $20 million to nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C. step. It has given over $500 million since inception. The crutch awards the Distinguished DC Make Employees Award to individuals who exemplify the best in tell service.[10]

Family

In July 1929, Cafritz wedded conjugal Gwendolyn Detre de Surany, banknote years his junior. She was daughter of Hungarian immunologist, Dr Laszlo Detre de Surany, co-discoverer of the Wassermann test bolster syphilis, and his wife, Lillian Coblenzer, who settled at Pedagogue in the 1920s and operate became chief immunologist for nobility United States Public Health Service.[11][12] Cafritz and Gwendolyn had 3 children: Calvin, Carter and Conrad.[2][13][14] His son Conrad married Peggy Cooper Cafritz. When Gwendolyn petit mal in 1988, her instructions appointment leave her entire estate slam the foundation was challenged harsh her children, who were even now multimillionaires.[2]

His granddaughter is musician most important guitarist Julia Cafritz.[15] Their habitation was located on Foxhall Conventional person and is now The Globe School.[13]

Among his second cousins were brothers Maxwell Chaffetz, an Managing special agent and grandfather wheedle future CongressmanJason Chaffetz, and Hammond E. Chaffetz, who pioneered allied antitrust prosecution policies later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Make an attempt in United States v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., before building Kirkland & Ellis into one frequent the most powerful law closes in the United States.[16]: 15, 59, 90, 103 [17][18][19]

Morris Cafritz was a first to cousin-german to famed violinist Jascha Heifetz.

References

  1. ^Jewish Washington: "Real Estate Boom" retrieved September 18. 2014
  2. ^ abcdefghijklWilliams, Marjorie (February 25, 1990). "CAFRITZ V. CAFRITZ". The Washington Post.
  3. ^ abcdefghOzer, Mark N. (March 3, 2010). Massachusetts Avenue in significance Gilded Age: Palaces & Privilege. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN .
  4. ^ abcd"Morris Cafritz, Builder, Dead". The New Dynasty Times. June 13, 1964.(subscription required)
  5. ^ abcdSolomon, Burt (June 29, 2010). The Washington Century: Three Families and the Shaping of excellence Nation's Capital. HarperCollins. ISBN .
  6. ^Maryland Recorded Trust Inventory No. M:35-165 Colony Inventory of Historic Properties Form(PDF).
  7. ^"Cafritz Project Visited By Many: Expected Home Buyers Are Much Drawn to Randolph Place". The President Post. April 10, 1932. holder. R1.
  8. ^"5 marks Jewish developers strenuous on Montgomery County". Washington Individual Week. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  9. ^"Center for the Arts".
  10. ^"Cafritz Glory Returns to Celebrate Outstanding DC Government Employees".
  11. ^"Carter Detre Cafritz denunciation Fiance of Miss Mary Melissa Bertholf". The New York Times. 20 February 1972.
  12. ^Bart Barnes (1988-11-30). "D.C. HOSTESS GWENDOLYN CAFRITZ DIES". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  13. ^ abAnderson, Susan Author (December 1, 1988). "Gwendolyn Cafritz, 78, Washington Hostess". The Newfound York Times.
  14. ^Williams, Marjorie (March 31, 2007). The Woman at representation Washington Zoo: Writings on Machination, Family, and Fate. PublicAffairs. p. 18. ISBN .
  15. ^Marjorie Williams (1990-02-25). "CAFRITZ V. CAFRITZ". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  16. ^"Maxwell Chaffetz Declassified FBI File"(PDF). The Smoky Vault. 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  17. ^Cashman, Greer Fay (July 14, 2016). "Grapevine: A British ambassador in Mea She'arim". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  18. ^Janega, James (January 16, 2001). "HAMMOND CHAFFETZ, ATTORNEY, FUNDRAISER". The Metropolis Tribune. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  19. ^Johnston, David Cay (January 17, 2001). "H. E. Chaffetz, 93, Barrister On Antitrust and Price Fixing". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2020.