Todd Spoth

SERIES: EASTERN STATE

Eastern State in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the world's first penitentiary. It was once filled with society's harshest criminals, but now it sits desolate, in ruin. Save for the occasional visitor, this beautiful landmark and its dark history, go unnoticed to many, even those living across the street.

When Philadelphia architect John Haviland originally designed the prison in the early 1800's, the plan called for one-story cell blocks, but overcrowding was a problem early on and many of the cell blocks were hastily built into two-story units. Several of the two-story facilities such as the one seen here were built and designed solely by the prisoners themselves.
   
Today, modern technology provides correctional facilities with an enormous amount of security resources that help monitor the activities of their inmates. Eastern State was designed around a central surveillance hub with cell blocks extending outward. A complex system of mirrors allowed a guard standing in the security hub or "Center" to see around corners and walls.
   
Prisoners at Eastern State were not punished in the conventional manner of the prison systems at the time; they had private cells, were fed regularly and received medical attention. Instead their complete solitude and lack of human interaction was their punishment. This indirect method proved to be much more severe as many of the inmates became mentally ill during their stay.
     
  
Arguably the world's most infamous criminal, Aalphonse "Scarface" Capone spent 8 months at Eastern State from 1929 to 1930. When other prisoners were left with only concrete and their own devices, Capone enjoyed lavish furniture, lamps, a desk and a cabinet radio.
  
Many view correctional facilities as ugly, dirty places, but Eastern State was a marvel in modern architecture of its time The innovative "hub and spoke" design of Eastern State inspired nearly 300 institutions worldwide. Art and design enthusiasts flock to the prison grounds every year in search of the beauty and history of the facility.
   
While the majority of prisoners were forced into months of solitary confinement, other prisoners enjoyed outdoor facilities such as a greenhouse that was built in the courtyard of cell block one. Today "My Glass House", an art exhibit by Judith Taylor resides here.
     
  
The surveillance tower known simply as "Center" can be seen through overgrown brush between two cell blocks. The entire facility of Eastern State currently rests is "preserved ruin" sometimes referred to as "arrested decay" meaning that no significant attempts to restore or upkeep the grounds have been made.
  
In its 142 year history it is known that more than 100 men escaped from the penitentiary's 30 foot stone walls. Various methods of escape were employed, the most popular being the scaling of a wall. In 1923 Leo Callahan and five other inmates built a ladder to scale the section of the east wall seen here. The five other inmates were eventually caught. Callahan was the only Eastern State inmate to escape from the prison and get away with it.
   
The majority of inmates that served time at Eastern State Pennetentiary were in total isolation 24 hours a day, however there were a select few that enjoyed certain freedoms such as the chance to participate in sports such as baseball and football. A portion of chain-link fence was added to the northern wall, seen here, to prevent fly balls from leaving the yard. The inclusion of sports into the daily lives of inmates was ceased after contraband was found being hidden in the baseballs before being thrown back into the yards from the outside.
     
  
The prisoners at Eastern State were forbidden to have any reading materials and could not communicate with anyone in any way. If they were caught singing or talking, even to themselves, they would be taken to a punishment cell and were limited to a half-ration of bread and water. Many of these cells were crude outdoor holes with an iron gate prohibiting escape.
   
Eastern State was originally designed to hold 250 prisoners in 250 solitary cells, each equipped with a narrow ceiling window, known as the "Eye of God", and a toilet. The prisoner's cells at Eastern State had running water before the White House.
   
Many prisoners including Al Capone were known to be haunted by ghosts during their stay at Eastern State. Anyone who had spent time there was certain of the supernatural qualities the prison possessed. In recent years many paranormal investigations have taken place on the grounds in hopes of discovering evidence of the ghosts of Eastern State.
     
  
In keeping with the philosophy of the founders of Eastern State and their belief that solitude would force introspection and ultimately repentance, concrete doors were supplemented by an outer layer of wood paneling to ensure that sounds made by the guards would not be audible in the cell. Guards were often instructed to wear an additional pair of socks over their boots to deaden the sound of their footsteps through the cell blocks.