Have you seen this census occupation?

Question

I was completely surprised when I found these US Census entries for 1880 in the District of Columbia on Thirteenth Street North West. Actually it is quite sad.

at 301 Hattie was keeping house and Katie, Willie and Lula were all prostitutes

at 303 Alice was keeping house and Maggie, Bessie. Annie and Pearl were prostitutes

at 305 Berdie was keeping house and Lillian and Daisy were prostitutes

This keeps going on the entire census page has 18 women whose occupation was prostitute

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB4-J6R?i=12&cc=1417683

Comments

Wow! They didn't use euphemisms, did they?

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Well, Hattie, Alice and Berdie each had the occupation house keeper

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Now they're known as lobbyists!  :D

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 Now, that was a good one, Vincent! 

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and a further 6 on the preceeding page.

Answer 1

Interesting. It must have been legal.

Answer 2

The location is just three blocks east of the White House.

 In April 1886, there is an article regarding house number 303 where a man was arrested at the house of ill-repute. ("Arrested on a Serious Charge: A Young Man Charged With Enticing a Child Into a Disreputable House," Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 7 April 1886, page 3. It happened again in 1894 and 1895 ("Mary Ridgeway's Mean Act:  She Induced a 16-year-old Girl to Accompany Her to a Division Bagnio,"  Washington Times, 31 October 1894, page 3.  "Victims of a Procuress: Three Girls Just Arrived in City Arrested by Police," (Washington Times), 31 August 1895, page 1.)  

The buildings are no longer standing.