Most tourists who come to Philadelphia will see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and what has become known as the “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But just a few blocks away from the steps made famous by Sylvester Stallone is a gothic looking building that looks like it could have been a medieval castle. This ominous looking building was actually the home of tens of thousands of prisoners between the years 1829 and 1971. It is Eastern State Penitentiary.
Eastern State was unlike any other prison the world had ever seen at that time. Every prisoner had their very own heated cell with a flush toilet, shower with small exercise yard attached. Though the prisoners were comfortable the purpose of this arrangement was to keep each prisoner completely isolated. No communication was allowed, there was no talking, no books (other than bible), no letters and no visitors. Each prisoner was completely secluded. Inmates even ate all meals in their cells. The creators of this system believed this type of solitary confinement would make inmates truly penitent.
The system of complete isolation slowly began to go out of practice over the decades for two reasons. First, there were many critics that believed keeping a person completely isolated from anyone was cruel. Second, as the number of inmates increased, it became logistically impossible to keep an inmate completely isolated. By the 20th century Eastern State Penitentiary was like almost every other prison in the nation with inmates sharing cells, working at on-site shops, exercising in common exercise yards and eating in a mess hall.
Eastern State’s most famous inmate was notorious mob boss Al Capone who served 8 months there in 1929. Mr. Capone’s experience was not like that of the common prisoner. Mr. Capone was allowed to decorate his cell with fine furniture, oriental rugs, lamps and radio. He was even allowed to make long distance phone calls from the warden’s office. It can be said Mr. Capone did not serve hard time.
Over the decades Eastern State became more and more difficult to maintain and to keep in good repair. By 1971, after 140 years in operation, the State of Pennsylvania decided to close Eastern State. But the closing of the Penitentiary as a prison was not the end of Eastern State. The prison remains active today thanks to a dedicated group of conversationalists and tours occur daily. For many visitors the best time to visit is at Halloween when they can participate in an experience called “Terror Behind The Walls”. It is not for the faint at heart
So the next time you are in Philadelphia try a tourist attraction that is a little out of the ordinary. This old prison will peak your curiosity and if you are lucky you may even get an opportunity to see one of Eastern State’s many ghosts that reportedly still haunt its halls.
Please enjoy a small silent film from 1929 to the right of this post. It shows life at Eastern State the year the facility turned 100.
Works Cited:
"History of Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia". Eastern State Penitentiary. 9 Feb. 2011. <http://easternstate.org/learn/research-library/history>.
"Notable Inmates". Eastern State Penitentiary. 9 Feb. 2011. <http://www.easternstate.org/learn/notable-inmates>.
Woodham, Chai. "Eastern State Penitentiary: A Prison with a Past". Smithsonian Institution. 9 Feb. 2011. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/eastern-state-penitentiary.html>
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