Rainy Night Chaos: Police Unleash Sweep on D.C.’s Shaky Buildings

On a drizzly February 21, 1922, the city of Washington D.C. braced for a crackdown like no other. District Commissioner Col. Keller, flanked by a beefed-up inspection force, launched a safety campaign that would shake the very foundations of the city’s buildings. Hundreds of structures, including hotels, apartments, churches, and halls, were put under the microscope for potential structural defects and fire hazards. The stakes were high, with any building deemed unfit for occupation facing immediate closure.