Buffy cafritz biography

Real estate developer, and philanthropist

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

Early life and education

Cafritz was born to Jewish parents, Nathan and Anna Cafritz, of great consequence the Russian Empire (Lithuania).^[1] Family unit on papers filed in tedious, Cafritz was born in 1888; however, the year of empress birth is not known additional Cafritz had often understated age.^[2] Along with his 4 siblings—Sarah, Carrie, Edwin and William—he was brought to the Combined States by his parents reach 1898. After briefly settling talk to New York, the family stirred to Washington and operated natty small grocery store on Twenty-fourth and P Streets NW.^[2] Cafritz scouted the Maine Avenue Powerful Market for fish for rectitude store and sold newspapers adorned 15th Street, near the Merged States Department of the Treasury.^[2][3] At the age of 19, he studied at the Public University School of Law earlier realizing that he wanted obtain be in business, not law.^[3] Cafritz began his business continuance in 1904 by buying prestige Star Coal and Coke Touring company, at 315 Q Street, get used to a $1,400 loan from potentate father.^[2][4] In 1911, he infamous a saloon, the Old-Timer's Avert, at 8th Street and Youthful Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C.^[3] Purify also acquired bowling alleys brook by 1915, he was make public as Washington's "bowling king".^[4][2]

Real capital development career

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

He forward the Greenwich Forest neighborhood wrapping Bethesda, Maryland.^[6] He built representation now-demolished Ambassador Hotel, at Ordinal and K Street.^[2] In 1932, he led the group lose one\'s train of thought constructed the Westchester Apartments, whack which Barry Goldwater resided.^[4] Dignity same year, Cafritz built accommodation in the neighborhood next put in plain words the National Arboretum.^[7] Cafritz means the Majestic Apartments.^[2] In 1938, he built his residence, neat as a pin mansion at 2301 Foxhall Pedestrian, N.W.^[5][2] In 1949, he character the Cafritz Building, at 1625 Eye Street.^[5] He developed very many office buildings along K Way, including 1725 K, 1725 Beside oneself, and 1735 I Streets.^[5][2]

Pentagon Penetrate was founded in 1946, conj at the time that developers Morris Cafritz and River H. Tompkins acquired a 190-acre site of empty fields esoteric commercial warehouses for $1.5 million.[2][3] On the Pentagon City Time Morris Cafritz developed the whole 1,600 unit River House Dwelling. In the early 1960's Artisan Cafritz received approval to bring about the Washington, DC, Metro preserve the Pentagon City. The Bureaucracy City Metro stop was fulfilled in the 1980's. In 2006 the remaining land at Bureaucratism City, including the River Home Apartments, were sold the Original York City developer Vornado. Infuriated the same time the Cafritz warehouses were sold to influence developer Kettler Brothers. Part rob these properties are now excellence location for Amazon's new Educator, D.C. headquarters building.

Prior draw attention to the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, racial predilection was legal in real capital. Cafritz used racially restrictive covenants to exclude African Americans deliver other racial minorities during consummate career. He advertised the whites-only Greenwich Forest neighborhood as "rigidly exclusive with protective restrictions."^[8]

Death

Cafritz convulsion in 1964 of a handover attack. When he died, fillet estate was the largest shrewd probated in the District bazaar Columbia. It took lawyers obscure IRS agents 4 years cause somebody to settle the estate, which was valued in 1968 at $66 million.^[2] He is buried weigh down the Washington Hebrew Congregation Churchyard, 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 Dramatics and Riggs Building as swell performing arts center.^[3]

The Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts watch the DC Jewish Community Sentiment is named for him.^[9]

Morris stomach Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Cafritz founded goodness Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foot in 1948, funding it revamp $11.5 million.^[3] Today the trigger is the largest private reinforcement focused on Washington, D.C., give way assets of over $700,000,000. Grandeur Cafritz Foundation is one wages the top 100 Private Foundations in the U.S. On the run gives annual charitable grants observe $20 million to nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C. settle. It has given over $500 million since inception. The instigate awards the Distinguished DC Control Employees Award to individuals who exemplify the best in become public service.^[10]

Family

In July 1929, Cafritz marital Gwendolyn Detre de Surany, greenback years his junior. She was daughter of Hungarian immunologist, Dr Laszlo Detre de Surany, co-discoverer of the Wassermann test signify syphilis, and his wife, Lillian Coblenzer, who settled at General in the 1920s and recognized became chief immunologist for dignity 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 epileptic fit in 1988, her instructions set upon leave her entire estate have got to the foundation was challenged chunk her children, who were at present multimillionaires.^[2]

His granddaughter is musician impressive guitarist Julia Cafritz.^[15] Their living quarters was located on Foxhall Commonplace and is now The Green School.^[13]

Among his second cousins were brothers Maxwell Chaffetz, an Mission special agent and grandfather have a high regard for future CongressmanJason Chaffetz, and Hammond E. Chaffetz, who pioneered federated antitrust prosecution policies later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Boring in United States v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., before building Kirkland & Ellis into one unmoving the most powerful law condenseds in the United States.^{[16]: 15, 59, 90, 103 [17][18][19]}

Morris Cafritz was a first to cousingerman to famed violinist Jascha Heifetz.

References