Eastern State Penitentiary
The History
Eastern State operated from 1829 to 1970 and was the first true "penitentiary"; Eastern State did not simply separate criminals from the public as prisons did up to that point but tried to inspire true penitence.
E.S.P. was founded on what became known as the Pennsylvania System - a system of solitary confinement to promote penitance. (The alternative was the New York System, in which prisoners worked together in silence and could receive physical punishment.)
"...it was widely believed (then and now) to have caused significant mental illness among its prisoners due to its solitary confinement... inmates entered the prison wearing a bag over their heads so as not to be recognized by other prisoners. They were then placed in isolation, which they never left as each cell had its very own exercise yard."1
Overcrowding led to the demise of the Pennsylvania System, though E.S.P. continued to operate as a "typical" prison until closing in 1970. The prison was abandoned in 1971 and is currently a "stabilized ruin".
The Experience
We visited the prison for the first time on June 6, 2006. There is an odd feeling inside, like stepping back in time. The view over the walls, from the inside out, is the only clue that you're still inside modern Philadelphia. Looking outside, the guard tower sharing the horizon with office towers outside the prison grounds makes for quite a contrast.
Several hallways have been restored, fully or partially, to demonstrate the appearance of the prison during different time periods. Even the more modern designs used solid doors and allowed very little view even into the small hallway between cells. The small, solid doors and long halls give the complex a very enclosed feeling.
Along with most prisons, of course, comes a store of strong, negative emotions. E.S.P. is not exception, having been host to over a century of incarceration and the despair and violence that often accompanies that. A photo on display in one of the main cell blocks shows a pair of weapons constructed and used during an attempted escape circa 1955.
Modern prisons seem terribly permissive compared to the solitary confinement of the Pennsylvania System. While it was in full effect at Eastern State, the System called for total isolation. MGR Director Joe, shown above in a picture of the exercise yard, could take only six paces from end to end in a cell and eight in the attached exercise yard. Also note the size of the doorway in comparison to his 6'2" stature. In the original design, prisoners entered through the exercise yard; the only access to the interior of the prison was a hole through which food could be passed at about chest height.
Unfortunately, the block that is allegedly the most active - and where the well-known TAPS/Ghost Hunters footage was captured - is not open to touring public. We visited the similarly-constructed Block 7 and Joe climbed up to the second level. In his opinion, the catwalks are much too narrow (and unstable) to execute the sudden turn and swift retreat that TAPS' figure seems to be making. The stairs that are visible in the image above are the same width as the catwalk - just wide enough for a person to pass through.
A first visit to the Penitentiary has done nothing but spark a stronger interest to return. It is definately worth a visit for the daytime self-guided tour, and MGR Directors Joe and Michelle Wetterling are proud to be members of Eastern State Penitentiary and supporting their stabilization projects. MGR is looking forward to find an opportunity to investigate the facility overnight.
References
- Wikipedia. "Eastern State Penitentiary" Online, accessed 6/7/2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_State_Penitentiary