In the heart of Philadelphia’s Art Museum Area sits an eerie, fortress-like structure in ruins. Eastern State Penitentiary was commissioned by the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons, the first prison reform group in the world. Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829 and closed just in 1971. Its unique wagon wheel plan was designed by architect John Haviland. At the center of the construction is the Rotunda, from which cell blocks extend out like bicycle spokes. From here, guards could keep watch on all the cell blocks and contain them individually if necessary. Over 300 prisons across the world are based on Eastern State Penitentiary’s design.
The prison’s philosophy was a Quaker-inspired system of isolation to encourage reform rather than to impose punishment. The prison was originally constructed to hold 250 prisoners, each held in solitary confinement. Interestingly, the word “penitentiary” is said to have been introduced to the English language as a result of the prison and stems from the word “penance”, defined as “an act of self-humiliation or devotion performed to show sorrow for a sin or other wrongdoing”. The practice of solitary confinement was contentious early on, and author Charles Dickens, who visited the prison in 1842, wrote, “The System is rigid, strict and hopeless solitary confinement, and I believe, in its effects, to be cruel and wrong…” The high number of mental illness cases developed at the prison was attributed to solitary confinement, and in 1913 the practice was abandoned.
Notable inmates include Morris “The Rabbi” Bolber – one of the leaders of an arsenic murder ring that appealed to women willing to kill their husbands to collect on insurance policies; horse thief Joe Buzzard (apparently horse theft was the equivalent of today’s auto theft); bank robber Willie Sutton; and gangster Al “Scarface” Capone. The photo at the top of this posting is of Al Capone’s cell. Al Capone, during his 8-month residence at the prison, received preferential treatment. His cell was not only furnished quite comfortably, but was also located in the Rotunda, away from the “regular” inmates. More photos of Eastern State Penitentiary can be viewed on the Fotos page.
