Knickerbocker Theatre (Washington, D.C.)

The Knickerbocker Theatre
The Knickerbocker Theatre in October, 1917
Location within Washington, D.C.
General information
Type	Film theater
Location	18th Street, and Columbia Road Northwest, Washington, D.C., United States
Coordinates	38°55′20″N 77°02′34″W / 38.92225°N 77.042806°W / 38.92225; -77.042806Coordinates: 38°55′20″N 77°02′34″W / 38.92225°N 77.042806°W / 38.92225; -77.042806
Completed	1917
Demolished	1922
Design and construction
Architect	Reginald Geare

The Knickerbocker Theatre was a Washington, D.C., movie theater located at 18th Street and Columbia Road in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. It collapsed on January 28, 1922 under the weight of snow from a two-day blizzard that was later dubbed the Knickerbocker Storm. The theater was showing Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford at the time of the collapse, which killed 98 patrons and injured 133 more. The disaster ranks as one of the worst in Washington. D.C. history. Former Congressman Andrew Jackson Barchfeld and a number of prominent political and business leaders were among those killed in the theater. The theater's architect, Reginald Geare, and owner, Harry Crandall, later committed suicide, Geare in 1927 and Crandall in 1937.

The Knickerbocker Theatre was commissioned by Harry Crandall in 1917. Designed by architect Reginald Geare, it had a seating capacity of 1,700.

On January 28, 1922, the Knickerbocker was showing the silent comedy Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford. News reports estimated that between 300 and 1,000 people were in the theater that evening. Two days before, a massive blizzard had begun and lasted 28 hours, resulting in significant accumulation of snow and ice throughout the Washington, DC area. It was the worst snowfall in the area since 1899, and much of the city was paralyzed by it. The snow accumulation on the Knickerbocker's flat roof put significant strain on the structure, and on the evening of the 28th it gave way.

The collapse occurred suddenly just after 9:00 PM. Witnesses reported that they had no hint of danger such as creaking or loud noises beforehand. With a loud noise, the roof of the theater collapsed onto the concrete balcony, and both in turn collapsed onto the orchestra seating section. In the moments after the collapse, a witness called a telephone operator, who spread the alarm to police, firefighters, and hospitals. She also phoned the city government, which ordered the immediate closure of all theaters in the city to prevent loss of life from any further collapses. People nearby during the collapse rushed to help, although their efforts were disorganized until the arrival of more than 600 soldiers and Marines. It took time for authorities to gain control of the scene as relatives of people in the theater tried to gain entry. Authorities also experienced delays in getting fire engines and other equipment to the scene as the streets of the city were nearly impassable in places due to snow and vehicles that had become stuck during the blizzard. However, a fleet of ambulances from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and volunteer taxis were able to reach the scene and evacuate some of the injured to hospitals.