Louis Washington Sr., who started Washington Sheet Metal Company in 1949 after being denied admission to the Sheet Metal Union because of his race, passed away on May 2. He was 84 years old. “He was determined. My Daddy had been his own man all of h
“He never did take no for an answer,” recalled his son Louis Washington Jr., 51, with a laugh. Washington Sheet Metal Company, 411 E. 69th St., has been a pillar in the Park Manor community for more than five decades.
The company started making photography and stainless steel equipment, and expanded into heating and roofing services for commercial and residential properties. Washington Sr. took many young men as apprentices and, in 1993, was honored for it by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.
“My daddy turned many a boy in this neighborhood into a man%uFFFDand gave them a job too. Everybody who works at Washington Sheet Metal Company has been with us close to 35 years, so it’s a low turnover rate,” said Washington Jr., who now runs the business. Washington Sr. never officially retired and managed his company until his death. “My father was not averse to being in Park Manor because he felt he could make a difference.
He set an example and inspired dignity in everyone. He was informally known by all as the ‘Mayor of 69th Street,’” recalled Washington Sr.’s daughter Denise, 56, who owns a management consulting company in Washington D.C. All three of Washington Sr.’s children went on to own businesses. Louis Washington Sr. was born February 14, 1924 in Wadley, Ga.
He attended Dunbar Vocational High School and the Washburn Vocational School, where he eventually taught sheet metal. He is an inductee in Dunbar’s Inaugural Hall of Fame.
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