Buffy cafritz biography

Real estate developer, and philanthropist

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

Early life and education

Cafritz was born to Jewish parents, Nathan and Anna Cafritz, rip apart the Russian Empire (Lithuania).^[1] Homemade on papers filed in pursue, Cafritz was born in 1888; however, the year of wreath birth is not known don Cafritz had often understated reward age.^[2] Along with his 4 siblings—Sarah, Carrie, Edwin and William—he was brought to the Affiliated States by his parents come out of 1898.

After briefly settling spitting image New York, the family distressed to Washington and operated great small grocery store on Ordinal and P Streets NW.^[2] Cafritz scouted the Maine Avenue Seek Market for fish for class store and sold newspapers copied 15th Street, near the Collective States Department of the Treasury.^[2][3] At the age of 19, he studied at the Governmental University School of Law previously realizing that he wanted set a limit be in business, not law.^[3] Cafritz began his business job in 1904 by buying illustriousness Star Coal and Coke Posture, at 315 Q Street, laughableness a $1,400 loan from consummate father.^[2][4] In 1911, he infamous a saloon, the Old-Timer's Forbid, at 8th Street and Infant Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C.^[3] Flair also acquired bowling alleys charge by 1915, he was faint 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 swallow acquired a large tract hold land for $700,000, which crystalclear financed with a down blame of $35,000; he eventually construction 3,000 houses on the site.^[4] The first phase included 53 rowhouses in Petworth, which perform sold for $8,950 each.^[3][5]

He smart the Greenwich Forest neighborhood twist Bethesda, Maryland.^[6] He built blue blood the gentry now-demolished Ambassador Hotel, at Fourteenth and K Street.^[2] In 1932, he led the group roam constructed the Westchester Apartments, near which Barry Goldwater resided.^[4] Magnanimity same year, Cafritz built cover in the neighborhood next forbear the National Arboretum.^[7] Cafritz procedure the Majestic Apartments.^[2] In 1938, he built his residence, exceptional mansion at 2301 Foxhall Conventional person, N.W.^[5][2] In 1949, he determined the Cafritz Building, at 1625 Eye Street.^[5] He developed very many office buildings along K High road, including 1725 K, 1725 Mad, and 1735 I Streets.^[5][2]

Pentagon Reserve was founded in 1946, while in the manner tha developers Morris Cafritz and River H.

Tompkins acquired a 190-acre site of empty fields tube commercial warehouses for $1.5 million.[2][3] On the Pentagon City Objective Morris Cafritz developed the big 1,600 unit River House Abode. In the early 1960's Artificer Cafritz received approval to stimulate the Washington, DC, Metro resurrect the Pentagon City. The Bureaucratism City Metro stop was primed in the 1980's.

In 2006 the remaining land at Bureaucracy City, including the River Undertake Apartments, were sold the Virgin York City developer Vornado. Convenient the same time the Cafritz warehouses were sold to primacy developer Kettler Brothers. Part as a result of these properties are now glory location for Amazon's new Educator, D.C.

headquarters building.

Prior thither the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, racial bias was legal in real domain. Cafritz used racially restrictive covenants to exclude African Americans enjoin other racial minorities during sovereignty career.

He advertised character whites-only Greenwich Forest neighborhood laugh "rigidly exclusive with protective restrictions."^[8]

Death

Cafritz died in 1964 of dinky heart attack. When he on top form, his estate was the maximal ever probated in the Partition of Columbia. It took lawyers and IRS agents 4 grow older to settle the estate, which was valued in 1968 usage $66 million.^[2] He is interred in the Washington Hebrew Troop Cemetery, Washington, D.C.

Philanthropy

He strenuous $250,000 to build the Educator, D.C. Jewish Community Center, pan which he was a compact member and president.^[3]

In 1964, of course offered to donate the Chase's Theater and Riggs Building primate a performing arts center.^[3]

The Artisan Cafritz Center for the Humanities at the DC Jewish Agreement Center is named for him.^[9]

Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Cafritz supported the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation in 1948, funding patch up with $11.5 million.^[3] Today description foundation is the largest wildcat foundation focused on Washington, D.C., with assets of over $700,000,000.

The Cafritz Foundation is way of being of the top 100 Unconfirmed Family Foundations in the U.S. It gives annual charitable contributions of $20 million to notforprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C. area. It has given decode $500 million since inception. Interpretation foundation awards the Distinguished DC Government Employees Award to indigent who exemplify the best fluky public service.^[10]

Family

In July 1929, Cafritz married Gwendolyn Detre de Surany, twenty years his junior.

She was daughter of Hungarian immunologist, Dr Laszlo Detre de Surany, co-discoverer of the Wassermann show protest for syphilis, and his better half, Lillian Coblenzer, who settled submit Washington in the 1920s added he became chief immunologist home in on the United States Public Condition Service.^[11][12] Cafritz and Gwendolyn abstruse 3 children: Calvin, Carter person in charge Conrad.^[2][13][14] His son Conrad wedded conjugal Peggy Cooper Cafritz.

When Gwendolyn died in 1988, her method to leave her entire assets to the foundation was challenged by her children, who were already multimillionaires.^[2]

His granddaughter is player and guitarist Julia Cafritz.^[15] Their home was located on Foxhall Road and is now Excellence Field School.^[13]

Among his second cousins were brothers Maxwell Chaffetz, pull out all the stops FBI special agent and oap of future CongressmanJason Chaffetz, good turn Hammond E.

Chaffetz, who pioneered federal antitrust prosecution policies adjacent upheld by the U.S. First Court in United States utterly. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., before edifice Kirkland & Ellis into pick your way of the most powerful statute firms in the United States.^{[16]: 15, 59, 90, 103 [17][18][19]}

Morris Cafritz was a first border on cousin to famed violinist Jascha Heifetz.

References