Evening star., 1947-12-03


street NV, aft II1
er a weeks ILL - sSg :sgEsS2
ness. SS
Mr.. Ostrow
was part owner
also of the Com Mr.. ostrow.
monwealth Building, 1925 K
street NV; the National Mutual
Insurance Co. of the District
of Columbia. which he started
about 1888; the building at 1881 U
street. NV, which is occupied by
the Snack Bar Division of Govern
ment Services, Inc, and the build
ing at 1927 Fourteenth street NV.
occupied by the FHA. He also was
president and owner of the Sun
Cab Co. in Baltimore.
Planned Apartment Development.
Before he sold the property to the
Navy, he owned the land where the
Naval Medical Center now stands in
Bethesda. At the time of his death
he owned the Bethesda motion pic
ture theater and various commercial
properties on the Old Georgetown
road and Wisconsin avenue in
Bethesda. Where his parking lot
now stands at Fourteenth and Park
road NV, Mr.. Ostrow had planned
200 apartment units and Washing
tons largest market to be built
within the next few months, his
family said.
He came to Washington from his
native Philadelphia when he was
about 8 years old with his parents,
the late Fannie Lubar and Jacob
Ostrow. His father was meat and
vegetable dealer at the old Center
Market.
After his graduation from old
Business High School here, Mr..
Ostrow went to the University OF
Maryland. During World War I he
was first sergeant of the Army de-
tachment at the university which
was part of the military school sys-
tenn. He was on duty at the unlver-
sity until the end of the war.
Organized Refinery at 22.
When he was % Mr.. Ostrow Or
ganized the Mile-X Gasoline Co. on
the Virginia side of Fourteenth
Street Bridge. He sold the small
refinery five years later to the Con-
tinental Oil Co. of Washington.
In 1890, following financial losses
in the market crash the year be-
fore, Mr.. Ostrow started the Hail-Me
Taxicab Co., which was the first
generated cab company in the Dis
trict. 1t was later subdivided into
the City Cab, Harlem Cab, General
Cab and Prudon Cab Cos.
Two years later he began the Sun
and Black and White Cab Cos. in
Baltimore, and about 1884 he organ
lied the Zone Taxicab and Sun Cab
Cos. in Cleveland. He sold the COM
panies later to his uncle, Harry
Sherry, former Washington resi-
dent.
Mr.. Ostrow went into the real
estate and building business in 1899
He planned to build central garage
for his taxicabs but instead he built
the office building at 1881 U street
NV.
Between 1910 and 1941' he built
the Winthrop House, 1927 Massa-
chusetts avenue NV, now owned
by his wife, Mrs. Sylvia OstroW; the
Dorchester House and the Common
wealth Building. In 1910 he dis
solved his cab company holdings
except for the cabs in Baltimore.
At one time Mr.. Ostrow had been
owner of the Brookland Courts
Apartments, 1918 Perry street NE;
the Atlantic Building, $50 F street
NV, and the former District Ma
tional Bank Building, 1400 block Of
G street NV.
For the last five years Mr.. Ostrow
had owned Holly Hill, his summer
estate in Severna Park, near Annap-
oils, Md, where he lived four months
year. The estate was on part Of
an old land grant to Lord Calvert,
his family said.
Mr.. Ostrow was active in the Adas
Israel Congregation and had recent
ly organized a mems club there. He
was asked to be president of the
brotherhood but declined because
of i'll health.
On Synagogue Committee.
He was also on the new Building
Committee for the synagogue to be
built at Connecticut avenue and
Porter street NV.
About 1885 he organized and was
the first president of the so Club,
social and philanthropic organiza-
ton which went out of existence
shortly before the war.
Two weeks ago he was elected
president of the Hillel Foundation
of George Washington University
and he was vice president OF the
.Bnai Birth of Washington. He was
Ia member also of the Jewish War
Veterans Association, the Variety
and Amity Clubs of Washington,
Samuel Gompers Masonic Lodge,
No. As, and the Washington Board
of Trade.
Besides his widow, he is survived
by two sons, Burton S. Ostrow OF
the Decatur street address, presi-
dent of the Avondale Corp. and
builder of Bethesda Groves, new
suburb, Alvin P. Ostrow, a student at
Mercersburg Academy a daughter,
Miss Joan Carol Ostrow, who at
tends Roosevelt High School, and
three sisters, Mrs. Ruth Wechsler
and Mrs. Gertrude Norman, both of
the Dorchester House, and Mrs. Lii
ian Gossin, 1915 Underwood street
NV.
Accra, Gold Coast, had two Sc
we're earthquakes within an hour
recently.