Eastern State Penitentiary, is a frightening stone fortress built to contain the evil that would be housed within. It is situated upon 11 acres of land and is completely enclosed by a half mile of solid rock walls. It is located on Fairmont Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
If you were to look at it from the air, it would resemble a wagon wheel. Long, grand halls, going out in every direction, with a large center hub, for monitoring.
Originally designed for only 253 prisoners, by the time all construction was completed,... it had been enlarged to accommodate 450 prisoners in solitary cells. The design became very popular and was copied by more then 300 prisons around the world.
Every prisoner was placed into an excruciatingly small (8'x12'), cement cells. Each cell had heat, water and a toilet, (which was a luxury for the time period.) The exercise yard was located directly behind each cell and it was roughly the same size. Each yard was also solitary, separated by lofty stone walls. The prisoners were allowed a small garden in the yard or at times,... even a pet.
Officially the hulking structure was opened in 1829, however,..it was abandoned in 1971 due to overcrowding.
Every cell had two doors, a metal door and a wooden door, which was there to muffle the sound. Directly over head , in the ceiling, was a long, narrow, glass sky light, dubbed........." The Eye of God."
The penitentiary used the "Separate System", which was basically solitary confinement for every single prisoner. Each prisoner was to be doing penance and seeking God, through quiet reflection and prayer.
NO verbal noise of any kind was allowed. NO CONTACT WAS TO BE MADE BETWEEN THE PRISONERS,............ AND EVEN MEALS WERE simply served through a slot in the door.
If the prisoners were taken out of their cell for any reason, they were hooded to continue the never ending and maddening isolation.
The chronic and constant silence and lack of interaction DROVE MANY PRISONERS to become completely demented.
Some of the harsh punishments include:..........................
* Watering- This is where an inmate was taken to a wall outside, stripped and doused with ice cold water............then left to hang for extended periods of time. In winter months, ice crystals would form over the entire body, leading to frost bite, hypothermia, gang green and in some instances even death.
* The Iron Gag- This apparatus was used on inmates that were caught speaking. It consisted of an iron collar that would wrap around the tongue............hook to a chain, that ran down the back, where it was secured to the prisoners wrists. ANY movement by the prisoner, would result in the tongue being torn.
* The Mad Chair- This is where an inmate was placed in a chair, strapped down, (to the point where their circulation was almost cut off) and then just left in that position for days. NO nourishment of any kind was given during this period. Because so many prisoners lost their sanity with this particular punishment, it became nicked named, "The Mad Chair."
Many murders and hundreds of deaths have taken place inside these gloomy stone walls and it has become a powerful magnet for lost and wandering souls.
The ghosts of Eastern State have become legendary.
Dark figures lurk and glide past you in the hallways. Sounds of the departed can be heard at almost any time,...day or night, which include................ crying, endless moaning and distant faint screams.
Investigators have even reported phantoms whispering directly into their ears! (Special note, if you plan on investigating this location,...I strongly advise you to bring a change of underwear.)
Ghostly footsteps echo in the vast space and are said to follow visitors through the cathedral like hallways.
The most talked about and dynamic areas of the prison (as far as paranormal activity is concerned)..... are cell blocks 6.......12........15!
On many occasions, standing in The Central Guard Tower, a ghost can be seen surveying everyone who passes the phantoms view. So when that tingling sensation of being watched slowly starts to travel up your spin and lands at the base of your hair line, you better turn and wave back to the observing spirit, after all,............it is the polite thing to do.
Eastern State is now a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as a museum. Tours are 10AM-5PM everyday, year round. Check out http://www.easternstate.org/ for more tour information.
The Ghost Adventures crew is running a show on Eastern State on Friday , July 8th, 2009............at 9PM E/P, on the Travel Channel. Check out a clip from the show,.......................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj5QHRh5kZA
Other shows on the prison include..............................
*Haunted History- By the History Channel.
*America's Scariest Halloween Attractions- By the Travel Channel, ( A must SEE!)
*Mysterious Journeys- By the Travel Channel. This show is where a team of ghost hunters and a psychic spend the entire night inside the prison!
More shows on Eastern State include............................
*Ghost Hunters
*Ghost Adventures
*MTV- FEAR
*Most Haunted Live
Additional Information on Eastern State..................
*Dark Destinations has a large array of Eastern State related links and information. I found their site to be a interesting one. Check them out.....
http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=e&location_id=eastern_state_penitentiary
Attractions.......................................................................................
In October a haunted attraction called "Terror Behind the Walls" sets up inside the prision to give a spooky Halloween thrill. To get your tickets go to ....................
http://www.easternstate.org/halloween/
Want to see a video?
It is called SCARED at Eastern State Penitentiary. It is a paranormal investigation of the entire prison. The video is 54 minutes long. Here it is................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEheb8iKQ2o
If you were to look at it from the air, it would resemble a wagon wheel. Long, grand halls, going out in every direction, with a large center hub, for monitoring.
Originally designed for only 253 prisoners, by the time all construction was completed,... it had been enlarged to accommodate 450 prisoners in solitary cells. The design became very popular and was copied by more then 300 prisons around the world.
Every prisoner was placed into an excruciatingly small (8'x12'), cement cells. Each cell had heat, water and a toilet, (which was a luxury for the time period.) The exercise yard was located directly behind each cell and it was roughly the same size. Each yard was also solitary, separated by lofty stone walls. The prisoners were allowed a small garden in the yard or at times,... even a pet.
Officially the hulking structure was opened in 1829, however,..it was abandoned in 1971 due to overcrowding.
Every cell had two doors, a metal door and a wooden door, which was there to muffle the sound. Directly over head , in the ceiling, was a long, narrow, glass sky light, dubbed........." The Eye of God."
The penitentiary used the "Separate System", which was basically solitary confinement for every single prisoner. Each prisoner was to be doing penance and seeking God, through quiet reflection and prayer.
NO verbal noise of any kind was allowed. NO CONTACT WAS TO BE MADE BETWEEN THE PRISONERS,............ AND EVEN MEALS WERE simply served through a slot in the door.
If the prisoners were taken out of their cell for any reason, they were hooded to continue the never ending and maddening isolation.
The chronic and constant silence and lack of interaction DROVE MANY PRISONERS to become completely demented.
Some of the harsh punishments include:..........................
* Watering- This is where an inmate was taken to a wall outside, stripped and doused with ice cold water............then left to hang for extended periods of time. In winter months, ice crystals would form over the entire body, leading to frost bite, hypothermia, gang green and in some instances even death.
* The Iron Gag- This apparatus was used on inmates that were caught speaking. It consisted of an iron collar that would wrap around the tongue............hook to a chain, that ran down the back, where it was secured to the prisoners wrists. ANY movement by the prisoner, would result in the tongue being torn.
* The Mad Chair- This is where an inmate was placed in a chair, strapped down, (to the point where their circulation was almost cut off) and then just left in that position for days. NO nourishment of any kind was given during this period. Because so many prisoners lost their sanity with this particular punishment, it became nicked named, "The Mad Chair."
Many murders and hundreds of deaths have taken place inside these gloomy stone walls and it has become a powerful magnet for lost and wandering souls.
The ghosts of Eastern State have become legendary.
Dark figures lurk and glide past you in the hallways. Sounds of the departed can be heard at almost any time,...day or night, which include................ crying, endless moaning and distant faint screams.
Investigators have even reported phantoms whispering directly into their ears! (Special note, if you plan on investigating this location,...I strongly advise you to bring a change of underwear.)
Ghostly footsteps echo in the vast space and are said to follow visitors through the cathedral like hallways.
The most talked about and dynamic areas of the prison (as far as paranormal activity is concerned)..... are cell blocks 6.......12........15!
On many occasions, standing in The Central Guard Tower, a ghost can be seen surveying everyone who passes the phantoms view. So when that tingling sensation of being watched slowly starts to travel up your spin and lands at the base of your hair line, you better turn and wave back to the observing spirit, after all,............it is the polite thing to do.
Eastern State is now a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as a museum. Tours are 10AM-5PM everyday, year round. Check out http://www.easternstate.org/ for more tour information.
The Ghost Adventures crew is running a show on Eastern State on Friday , July 8th, 2009............at 9PM E/P, on the Travel Channel. Check out a clip from the show,.......................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj5QHRh5kZA
Other shows on the prison include..............................
*Haunted History- By the History Channel.
*America's Scariest Halloween Attractions- By the Travel Channel, ( A must SEE!)
*Mysterious Journeys- By the Travel Channel. This show is where a team of ghost hunters and a psychic spend the entire night inside the prison!
More shows on Eastern State include............................
*Ghost Hunters
*Ghost Adventures
*MTV- FEAR
*Most Haunted Live
Additional Information on Eastern State..................
*Dark Destinations has a large array of Eastern State related links and information. I found their site to be a interesting one. Check them out.....
http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/location.php?sub_id=dark_destinations&letter=e&location_id=eastern_state_penitentiary
Attractions.......................................................................................
In October a haunted attraction called "Terror Behind the Walls" sets up inside the prision to give a spooky Halloween thrill. To get your tickets go to ....................
http://www.easternstate.org/halloween/
Want to see a video?
It is called SCARED at Eastern State Penitentiary. It is a paranormal investigation of the entire prison. The video is 54 minutes long. Here it is................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEheb8iKQ2o
No comments:
Post a Comment