457:
40:
362:
151:
419:
One
Hundred and Thirty-third Street still shows some signs of resistance to the blending of colors in that street, but between Lenox and Seventh Avenues has practically succumbed to the ingress of colored tenants. Nearly all the old dwellings in 134th Street to midway in the block west from Seventh
397:
buildings from Afro-American Realty, evicted their Black tenants, and replaced them with white tenants. Hudson's builders agreed to only rent their properties to whites. In response, the Afro-American Realty
Company bought two adjacent apartment houses, evicted their white tenants, and moved in the
352:
states that by 1900, Payton was already managing several buildings housing
African-Americans. Yet other sources write that Payton's first success came when he approached the manager of an apartment house on West 133rd Street, which tenants were fleeing because a murder had been committed there, and
307:
At the low point, in April and May 1901, the
Paytons' cat and dog died, partially due to hunger, and the Paytons were evicted from an apartment house he had been managing, for being unable to pay their rent. Soon after this, though, business improved. Payton got charge of more houses, and began to
299:
Payton first got into the real-estate business as a janitor, but after seeing how the business operated, he decided he wanted to create his own firm. Payton and a partner opened the Brown and Payton real estate firm in
October 1900. In June 1901, Payton married. The business was unsuccessful, and
485:
wrote that three-quarters of the Black population of New York City, including all Blacks of prominence, lived in Harlem; it called Payton "the father of his Negro community". The success of Payton's enterprise could be seen in the neighborhood of 13 West 131st Street, the house he had bought for
439:
The Afro-American Realty
Company grew to $ 1 million in assets with annual rent receipts of $ 114,000. It was not as successful as some stockholders had anticipated, though, and in October 1906, 35 of them brought a lawsuit, charging that the prospectus was fraudulent and overstated the company
342:
property for nearly a year before I actually succeeded in getting a colored tenement to manage. My first opportunity came as a result of a dispute between two landlords in West 134th Street. To 'get even' one of them turned his house over to me to fill with colored tenants. I was successful in
415:
An untoward circumstance has been injected into the private dwelling market in the vicinity of 133rd and 134th
Streets. During the last three years the flats in 134th between Lenox and Seventh Avenues, that were occupied entirely by white folks, have been captured for occupation by a Negro
532:
The Philip A. Payton Jr
Company was co-managed by John E. Nail and Henry C. Parker, who went on to be known as the "little fathers" of Negro Harlem. They worked to fulfill Payton’s dream of making this Harlem neighborhood a political and cultural capital for African-Americans in the area.
529:; he was 41. His younger brother Edward S. Payton, who had served as vice-president of Afro-American Realty, had passed even earlier, in 1912, at the age of 30. The Philip A. Payton Jr. Company survived after him, managing numerous African-American apartments at least until 1922.
264:, was a personal friend of Payton's father, and Payton attended the institution, and graduated from the institute in 1899. The effects of an injury persisted for most of the following year. His siblings each had a more complete education. His sister graduated from the state
440:
holdings when it was issued. Payton was arrested on civil fraud charges in
January 1907, and the courts ruled in favor of the plaintiffs for investments, damages, and legal costs, later that year. The company issued its first and only
493:
Payton closed his largest deal in July 1917, a sale of six apartment houses for about $ 1.5 million, the largest sale of housing for Black people to that time. The buildings were renamed after prominent Black figures in the
Americas:
248:
and his mother a hairdresser. His father insisted that the children learn a trade, and so trained him in the family profession twice a week after school. Payton claimed to be a full-fledged barber by the age of fifteen.
373:
at $ 10 each. Payton's business partner was a mortician named James C. Thomas. Along with Thomas, Payton formed the Afro-American Real Estate Company. He appealed to Black investors specifically, both to their
398:
Black families evicted by Hudson. Eventually, Hudson sold the original three buildings back to the Afro-American at a large loss. The incident augmented Payton's reputation and drew investors to his company.
378:
and profit motives, with an ad stating: "Today is the time to buy, if you want to be numbered among those of the race who are doing something toward trying to solve the so-called 'Race Problem.'" His
420:
Avenue are occupied by colored tenants and real estate brokers predict that it is only a matter of time when the entire block, to Eighth Avenue, will be a stronghold of the Negro population.
476:, former directors of the Afro-American Realty Company, founded their own company, Nail & Parker Real Estate, in 1907; it eventually became one of the most successful in New York.
405:
The Afro-American Realty Company bought and leased property in Harlem neighborhoods never until then "invaded" by Black tenants, occasioning near panic among neighboring owners. The
312:
I knew that if I made one good sale I could make enough to keep me going for a year. I came so near making a good sale so many times that I knew I was bound to hit it before long.
464:
Payton continued to buy and manage Harlem real estate for Black tenants, founding the Philip A. Payton Jr. Company, known for its PAP logo. He even ventured outside the city to
1106:
1061:
1101:
1096:
1076:
1066:
571:
1056:
161:
416:
population. Its presence there has tended also to lend much color to conditions in 133rd and 135th Streets between Lenox and Seventh Avenues.
947:
860:
792:
733:
672:
645:
393:, for residential development. To make the development property more attractive to prospective builders, it also bought three neighboring
1091:
706:
456:
436:
White residents were outraged; one sign advertising for colored tenants for a formerly white building was burned to local acclaim.
219:
191:
176:
385:
In 1905, the Hudson Realty Company, a white-owned real estate company, had bought a tract of land on West 135th Street near
369:
On June 15, 1904, with the help of other affluent Blacks, Payton chartered the Afro-American Realty Company, issuing 50,000
198:
556:. Editor-in-chief, Clement Richardson. Published 1919 by National Publishing Company, Inc. in Montgomery, Alabama, p. 258.
761:
343:
renting and managing this house, after a time I was able to induce other landlords to ... give me their houses to manage.
864:
1071:
308:
deal in real estate for himself as well as for others, until he was making profits of thousands of dollars per month.
291:
office at $ 8 per week. While working as a porter, he got the idea of going into the real estate business on his own.
205:
852:
784:
486:
himself and his wife Maggie in 1903. The entire street was white in 1900; by the time of the 1915 New York State
287:
picture and weighing machine attendant at $ 6 per week, a barber at $ 5–6 per week, and finally as a porter in a
261:
187:
279:
Payton worked in the family barber shop until April 1899, when he decided to make more of himself, and left for
637:
241:
63:
499:
269:
551:
526:
481:
382:
claimed: "The very prejudice that has heretofore worked against us can be turned and used to our profit."
81:
1021:
1005:
959:
912:
896:
880:
825:
809:
989:
244:, on February 27, 1876. He was the second of four children, one girl and three boys. His father was a
1086:
1081:
599:
515:
507:
473:
379:
253:
325:
Sources differ on what was Payton's first break. Several cite an interview in 1911 or 1912 with the
698:
684:
257:
92:
938:, edited by Jessie Carney Smith, Millicent Lownes Jackson, consultant, Linda T. Wynn, consultant,
212:
576:
511:
445:
348:
631:
975:
943:
933:
856:
788:
729:
719:
702:
668:
641:
603:
778:
692:
658:
444:
in June 1907, but never recovered from the negative publicity effects of the lawsuit and the
688:
503:
284:
120:
39:
939:
843:
495:
427:
407:
370:
273:
375:
300:
Brown left in the spring of 1901. Payton continued the business alone, while his wife
1050:
664:
280:
265:
134:
22:
721:
Harlem: The Four Hundred Year History from Dutch Village to Capital of Black America
361:
522:
469:
386:
327:
126:
168:
607:
725:
465:
288:
150:
123:
402:
called the moves by Hudson and Afro-American Realty a "Real Estate Race War".
633:
Blood Relations: Caribbean Immigrants and the Harlem Community, 1900-1930
441:
394:
339:
129:, known as the "Father of Harlem", due to his work renting properties in
604:"Chapter XIX: Philip A Payton Jr. and the Afro American Realty Company"
572:"Streetscapes: 13 West 131st Street; 'Father of Harlem' Called It Home"
336:
694:
On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance
487:
390:
301:
245:
130:
518:. The Black population in Harlem had reached 50,000 or even 70,000.
455:
360:
353:
persuaded him to have the chance to fill it with Black families.
335:
I was a real estate agent, making a specialty in management of
490:, the block was almost completely inhabited by Black tenants.
144:
460:
Maggie Payton and 13 West 131st Street, their home in Harlem
283:, against the wishes of both parents. There, he worked as a
660:
Harlem Stomp!: A Cultural History Of The Harlem Renaissance
172:
106:
98:
88:
70:
49:
30:
929:
927:
925:
413:
333:
310:
977:Encyclopedia of African American Business: K-Z
935:Encyclopedia of African American business: K-Z
566:
564:
562:
810:"A Race Prejudice Mint for Profits in Realty"
8:
881:"Negro Invasion Threat Angers Flat Dwellers"
805:
803:
801:
547:
545:
177:introducing citations to additional sources
826:"Real Estate Race War is Started in Harlem"
780:Harlem at War: The Black Experience in WWII
553:The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race
756:
754:
752:
750:
748:
746:
744:
742:
38:
27:
913:"Negroes Charge Payton With Realty Fraud"
897:"'23' The Mystic Sign on Negro Flathouse"
119:(February 27, 1876 – August 1917) was an
16:African-American real estate entrepreneur
167:Relevant discussion may be found on the
1022:"Ten Landlords Filed 20,000 Rent Suits"
541:
1107:Deaths from liver cancer in New Jersey
1062:American businesspeople in real estate
594:
592:
590:
588:
586:
525:a month later at his country house in
1037:Day, Jared N. "Philip A. Payton Jr."
272:), and both of his brothers attended
7:
1102:20th-century African-American people
1097:19th-century American businesspeople
1077:People from Westfield, Massachusetts
990:"Apartment Houses for Negro Tenants"
1067:People from Allenhurst, New Jersey
1039:American National Biography Online
14:
240:Philip A. Payton Jr. was born in
365:Philip A. Payton Jr., circa 1907
317:Philip A. Payton Jr., quoted in
160:relies largely or entirely on a
149:
44:Philip A. Payton Jr., circa 1914
1057:African-American businesspeople
847:, December 24, 1905. Quoted in
448:, stopping operations in 1908.
21:For the British historian, see
1:
762:"A Neighborhood of Their Own"
841:"Negroes Move into Harlem",
425:"Negroes Move into Harlem",
357:Afro-American Realty Company
1123:
1092:Livingstone College alumni
612:. Hertel, Jenkins & Co
331:in which Payton recalls:
20:
960:"Negro After Fine Estate"
853:Little, Brown and Company
851:by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts,
785:Syracuse University Press
262:Salisbury, North Carolina
117:Philip Anthony Payton Jr.
37:
32:Philip Anthony Payton Jr.
638:Indiana University Press
242:Westfield, Massachusetts
137:, to African Americans.
64:Westfield, Massachusetts
452:After the Afro-American
270:Westfield State College
527:Allenhurst, New Jersey
461:
434:
366:
345:
323:
188:"Philip A. Payton Jr."
82:Allenhurst, New Jersey
760:Edward T. O'Donnell,
609:The Negro in Business
600:Washington, Booker T.
500:Toussaint L'Ouverture
459:
364:
319:The Negro in Business
102:Real estate developer
1041:. February 28, 2014.
832:, December 17, 1905.
699:Simon & Schuster
657:Laban Carrick Hill,
630:Irma Watkins-Owens,
516:Booker T. Washington
508:Paul Laurence Dunbar
254:Joseph Charles Price
173:improve this article
1028:, January 20, 1922.
966:, January 23, 1912.
919:, January 30, 1907.
871:, January 25, 2011.
816:, October 27, 1906.
685:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
431:, December 24, 1905
258:Livingstone College
93:Livingstone College
1072:People from Harlem
1026:The New York Times
1010:The New York Times
994:The New York Times
964:The New York Times
942:, 2006. Page 650.
917:The New York Times
901:The New York Times
885:The New York Times
869:The New York Times
830:The New York Times
814:The New York Times
766:The New York Times
577:The New York Times
570:Christopher Gray,
512:Frederick Douglass
462:
446:depression of 1907
400:The New York Times
389:, in the heart of
367:
349:The New York Times
304:to support them.
948:978-0-313-33111-4
861:978-0-316-01723-7
849:Harlem Is Nowhere
793:978-0-8156-0324-5
734:978-0-8021-1910-0
673:978-0-316-03424-1
646:978-0-253-21048-7
238:
237:
223:
114:
113:
60:February 27, 1876
1114:
1042:
1035:
1029:
1019:
1013:
1012:, June 29, 1912.
1003:
997:
996:, July 11, 1917.
987:
981:
973:
967:
957:
951:
931:
920:
910:
904:
903:, July 22, 1906.
894:
888:
887:, July 21, 1906.
878:
872:
839:
833:
823:
817:
807:
796:
775:
769:
758:
737:
716:
710:
689:Raymond Obstfeld
682:
676:
655:
649:
628:
622:
621:
619:
617:
596:
581:
580:, June 16, 1991.
568:
557:
549:
504:Phyllis Wheatley
432:
321:
285:department store
233:
230:
224:
222:
181:
153:
145:
121:African-American
77:
59:
57:
42:
28:
1122:
1121:
1117:
1116:
1115:
1113:
1112:
1111:
1047:
1046:
1045:
1036:
1032:
1020:
1016:
1004:
1000:
988:
984:
980:, 2006, p. 558.
974:
970:
958:
954:
940:Greenwood Press
932:
923:
911:
907:
895:
891:
879:
875:
844:New York Herald
840:
836:
824:
820:
808:
799:
776:
772:
768:, June 6, 2004.
759:
740:
718:Jonathan Gill,
717:
713:
683:
679:
656:
652:
629:
625:
615:
613:
598:
597:
584:
569:
560:
550:
543:
539:
521:Payton died of
496:Crispus Attucks
474:Henry G. Parker
454:
433:
428:New York Herald
424:
408:New York Herald
359:
322:
316:
297:
274:Yale University
234:
228:
225:
182:
180:
166:
154:
143:
89:Alma mater
84:
79:
75:
74:August 29, 1917
66:
61:
55:
53:
45:
33:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1120:
1118:
1110:
1109:
1104:
1099:
1094:
1089:
1084:
1079:
1074:
1069:
1064:
1059:
1049:
1048:
1044:
1043:
1030:
1014:
998:
982:
968:
952:
921:
905:
889:
873:
834:
818:
797:
770:
738:
711:
677:
650:
623:
582:
558:
540:
538:
535:
453:
450:
422:
376:social justice
358:
355:
314:
296:
293:
236:
235:
171:. Please help
157:
155:
148:
142:
139:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
100:
96:
95:
90:
86:
85:
80:
78:(aged 41)
72:
68:
67:
62:
51:
47:
46:
43:
35:
34:
31:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1119:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1078:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1068:
1065:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1054:
1052:
1040:
1034:
1031:
1027:
1023:
1018:
1015:
1011:
1007:
1002:
999:
995:
991:
986:
983:
979:
978:
972:
969:
965:
961:
956:
953:
949:
945:
941:
937:
936:
930:
928:
926:
922:
918:
914:
909:
906:
902:
898:
893:
890:
886:
882:
877:
874:
870:
866:
862:
858:
854:
850:
846:
845:
838:
835:
831:
827:
822:
819:
815:
811:
806:
804:
802:
798:
794:
790:
786:
782:
781:
774:
771:
767:
763:
757:
755:
753:
751:
749:
747:
745:
743:
739:
735:
731:
727:
723:
722:
715:
712:
708:
707:1-4165-3488-1
704:
700:
696:
695:
690:
686:
681:
678:
674:
670:
666:
665:Little, Brown
662:
661:
654:
651:
647:
643:
639:
635:
634:
627:
624:
611:
610:
605:
601:
595:
593:
591:
589:
587:
583:
579:
578:
573:
567:
565:
563:
559:
555:
554:
548:
546:
542:
536:
534:
530:
528:
524:
519:
517:
513:
509:
505:
501:
497:
491:
489:
484:
483:
477:
475:
471:
467:
458:
451:
449:
447:
443:
437:
430:
429:
421:
417:
412:
410:
409:
403:
401:
396:
392:
388:
383:
381:
377:
372:
363:
356:
354:
351:
350:
344:
341:
338:
332:
330:
329:
320:
313:
309:
305:
303:
294:
292:
290:
286:
282:
281:New York City
277:
275:
271:
267:
266:normal school
263:
259:
256:, founder of
255:
250:
247:
243:
232:
229:February 2024
221:
218:
214:
211:
207:
204:
200:
197:
193:
190: –
189:
185:
184:Find sources:
178:
174:
170:
164:
163:
162:single source
158:This section
156:
152:
147:
146:
140:
138:
136:
135:New York City
132:
128:
125:
122:
118:
110:Maggie P. Lee
109:
105:
101:
97:
94:
91:
87:
83:
73:
69:
65:
52:
48:
41:
36:
29:
24:
23:Philip Payton
19:
1038:
1033:
1025:
1017:
1009:
1001:
993:
985:
976:
971:
963:
955:
934:
916:
908:
900:
892:
884:
876:
868:
848:
842:
837:
829:
821:
813:
779:
777:Nat Brandt,
773:
765:
720:
714:
693:
680:
659:
653:
632:
626:
614:. Retrieved
608:
575:
552:
531:
523:liver cancer
520:
492:
480:
478:
470:John E. Nail
463:
438:
435:
426:
418:
414:
406:
404:
399:
387:Lenox Avenue
384:
368:
347:
346:
334:
328:New York Age
326:
324:
318:
311:
306:
298:
278:
251:
239:
226:
216:
209:
202:
195:
183:
159:
127:entrepreneur
116:
115:
76:(1917-08-29)
18:
1087:1917 deaths
1082:1876 births
726:Grove Press
482:The Outlook
466:Long Island
295:Real estate
289:real estate
124:real estate
1051:Categories
537:References
380:prospectus
199:newspapers
141:Early life
99:Occupation
56:1876-02-27
865:Excerpted
736:, p. 176.
616:August 4,
479:By 1914,
169:talk page
855:, 2011,
795:, p. 27.
787:, 1996;
728:, 2011;
709:, p. 13.
701:, 2007,
675:, p. 49.
667:, 2009;
648:, p. 42.
640:, 1996,
602:(1907).
442:dividend
423:—
411:wrote:
395:tenement
340:tenement
315:—
337:colored
268:(later
213:scholar
1006:"Died"
946:
859:
791:
732:
705:
671:
644:
514:, and
488:census
391:Harlem
371:shares
246:barber
215:
208:
201:
194:
186:
131:Harlem
107:Spouse
302:sewed
220:JSTOR
206:books
944:ISBN
857:ISBN
789:ISBN
730:ISBN
703:ISBN
687:and
669:ISBN
642:ISBN
618:2009
472:and
252:Dr.
192:news
71:Died
50:Born
867:by
260:in
175:by
1053::
1024:,
1008:,
992:,
962:,
924:^
915:,
899:,
883:,
863:.
828:,
812:,
800:^
783:,
764:,
741:^
724:,
697:,
691:,
663:,
636:,
606:.
585:^
574:,
561:^
544:^
510:,
506:,
502:,
498:,
468:.
276:.
133:,
950:.
620:.
231:)
227:(
217:·
210:·
203:·
196:·
179:.
165:.
58:)
54:(
25:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
