The neighborhood of Karantina —also known as Al Khodr or Maslakh part of the district of Medawar—is situated in north-eastern Beirut and is reputed for being one of the first refugee camps in the world, specifically as a host to Armenian refugees after World War I. By the early 1970s, Karantina had become a bustling workers' district which included Kurdish, Palestinian, Syrian, Southerners, and a mixed local population. Most importantly, this lower-income community was predominantly Muslim, forming a distinct pocket within an otherwise largely Christian eastern Beirut. This sectarian imbalance led, in part, to the first large-scale massacre and mass displacement of the Lebanese Civil War, in January of 1976. In this paper, I explore the transformation of Karantina from a laborer district to the center of power of the local right-wing militias, initially the Phalange/Kataeb, and later the Lebanese Forces. Following the displacement of the Muslim groups who lived in Karantina, the Christian militias took over the neighborhood and built a large paramilitary complex which included their headquarters, a security council, multiple barracks and training bases. I explore the spatial significance of Karantina within the newly subdivided Beirut, and the intrinsic connection between controlling the neighborhood and ascending to power. With Karantina becoming the seat of power of the de facto ruling class of east Beirut, the pre-war experiences of labor struggle and marginalization further stand out. I present findings from 17 months of fieldwork, including oral histories, archival research, and participant observation. I argue that the new elite derived their power from the appropriations of space and the social-material entanglement of their political mission.