Eastern State Penitentiary: This was the first prison built with the purpose of rehabilitating inmates rather than just incarcerating them. It became the model for over 300 prisons...

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Eastern State Penitentiary

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Oct 2, 2023 12:56:13 #

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

This was the first prison built with the purpose of rehabilitating inmates rather than just incarcerating them. It became the model for over 300 prisons worldwide. It is an imposing structure in downtown Philadelphia and is open for tours. They are self-guided with the aid of headphones and a player unit. Guests are free to roam around many of the cell blocks and a number of them are open and can be entered. Built in 1826-29 prisoners were kept there from 1830 to the early 1970s. Among the more famous "guests" was Al Capone -- the shot of the nicely furnished cell was his.

Each cell block had a resident barber. The barber lived in the cell where his chair was located.

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Oct 2, 2023 13:04:30 #

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Interesting.

Oct 2, 2023 13:19:55 #

philo Loc: philo, ca

great place to visit.....not to stay

Oct 2, 2023 13:25:41 #

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Wow, so many intriguing photo ops. Thanks for the great tour!

Oct 2, 2023 13:40:05 #

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

Bridges wrote:

This was the first prison built with the purpose o... (show quote)

Oct 2, 2023 15:42:22 #

elee950021 Loc: New York, NY

Bridges wrote:

Bridges and all!

The Eastern State Penitentiary is a great site to visit. My camera club visited Philadelphia a few years ago. It's near the Philadelphia Museum which has the statue of Rocky in front. The Penitentiary is mainly a single-story prison with a central area where the cells are in rows radiating out like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. The cells have skylights that would allow prisoners to do penance and pray for their crimes and behavior. Due to the rising use of drugs both in and outside the prison as well as overcrowding, the prison closed in 1970. It has deteriorated except for some areas and is very photogenic as you can see in Bridges' photos above.

In 1842, Charles Dickens visited the United States to see Niagara Falls and Eastern State Penitentiary. He later wrote, "The System is rigid, strict and hopeless solitary confinement, and I believe it, in its effects, to be cruel and wrong...."

A great day trip! Be well! Ed

Oct 2, 2023 21:43:33 #

johnblenko Loc: Pittsburgh

And they do haunted tours at night and similar activities around Halloween.

Oct 3, 2023 05:54:20 #