Past Watch Site

In the wake of the American Revolution, one major intellectual export was prison design and reform. The massive Eastern State Penitentiary, opened in 1829, was once the most famous prison in the world. It is estimated that 300 prisons on four continents were modeled after architect John Haviland's radial architecture plan and the revolutionary Pennsylvania System, which replaced corporal punishment with Quaker-inspired isolation and labor. Proponents believed that criminals who thought, in silence, about their behavior would become genuinely penitent. Prisoners had private cells, each with an adjacent outdoor exercise yard contained by a 10-foot wall. The buildings were equipped with central heat, running water, flush toilets, and skylights. The prison closed in 1971. Since 1994, as a result of local citizen initiative, the prison has been open to increasing numbers of tour groups. Following Watch listing in 1996, funds were secured to repair roofs over some wings, but water infiltration remains a major problem throughout the site. The building is in the hands of a trust and the city and state have offered matching funds once private money can be found and a stabilization plan devised.

UPDATE

The site, which first offered limited tours in 1988, is now a successful attraction, with a year-round calendar of special events. New spaces in the historic prison have been restored and opened to the public. January 2011
 

Have an update on this site? Please contact us at watchupdate@wmf.org.