Halls of an Abandoned Prison
By Patricia Davila
17 Jul 2008
Eastern State Penitentiary is one of the most famous prisons in the United States. It is also claimed to be the most haunted, only after Alcatraz in California.
The prison was opened in 1829 and has been considered to be the world's first real penitentiary. The architecture was considered to be ingenious, influencing the designs of 300 other prisons around the world. The halls were designed to give off the feeling of a church, and the cells were built with one outlet for light on the ceiling, known to be "God's Eye" so that the inmates would know that God was always watching them.
Although the design and function of the prison was a breakthrough, it sends chills down the spine of any visitor. The function of this prison was a breakthrough in that it was meant for prisoners who were seeking penance and to open up to God. The most famous inmate to serve time at the prison was Al Capone, who later happened to finish his sentence at Alcatraz. The problem with the penitentiary came about when it was realized that the solitary confinement was causing prisoners to develop mental illnesses. Overcrowding also eventually became a problem, and the system started to crack. The prison eventually closed in 1971.
When this happened, cats started to filter in and eventually developed a small colony. When a restoration of the prison was initiated, the cats were captured, neutered, and eventually died off. The artist, Linda Brenner sculpted 39 cats to symbolize the colony, and they are all spread throughout the penitentiary today in the most unexpected places.
The prison has often been the subject of Ghost Hunters and other people looking for spirits and ghosts throughout the prison--and many claim to have come across some.
Even if you do not believe in ghosts or the supernatural, one cannot deny the goosebumps or the chills felt when listening to the echoing walls, breathing the stale, dusty air, and feeling the cold and ominous air and creeping light in each individual cell. Is it any wonder no one is permitted to cross into death row?
