2018 05 15 Ohio State Reformatory

Mansfield, Ohio - 15 May 2018
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The entrance to the Administrative Building and cell blocks.

The plaque explains why the architect and the State of Ohio designed what today would be considered a ridiculously extravagant cost for incarcerated prisoners. Initially, the Reformatory was designed to encourage young offenders to turn their lives around, improve their futures by learning a trade and reduce recidivism.

Rehabilitation included classroom education for earning a GED, workshops and learning trades plus was self-sufficient in producing its own electricity and much of its own food.

The current remaining buildings have been used in many movies and TV shows. The most popular movies were The Shawshank Redemption, Air Force One and Tango and Cash. Many TV shows include 101 Things to do Before You Die, several music videos, Scariest Places on Earth, Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures and Real Scary Stories.  

This gate was used in Air Force One as the exit the Russian Prison. The bars on the windows were also left and if you look at the right side you will see they are attached to small wooden slats. What you can't see is that the bars themselves are made of wood. Not very secure for a prison but this is the back of the Administration building.

Old Sparky, the control panel and the phone connected to the Governor's office. These items are from the time when the Reformatory no longer tried to reform anyone and was a maximum security prison. 

Couple of guys walking around really seemed to know their way around because Bob and I sometimes had trouble locating the Tour route. 

I think Bob was not getting along with this guy.

This room was used as the Parole Board room in the Shawshank Redemption. Pretty fancy with the stained glass windows. The paper on the table was the dialogue between Morgan Freeman's character, Red, and the Board members. 

Most of the Administrative rooms had decorative upper transom windows while the warden family rooms did not. 

Hm. Well, this is odd. A staircase to nowhere. No hidden doors and trap door stairs here. 

Besides the educational opportunities, all 1900 inmates where originally required to attend religious services. They were non-denominational until the population grew too large to be accommodated in this one room. This became the Catholic Chapel. Other religions met in other areas. 

Another artifact left from the filming of Air Force One, a Russian Orthodox icon poster. 

Several of the original painted plaster Stations of the Cross from the Chapel are set in a cabinet which is good because there were several broken windows that had let a few pigeons inside. 

Just entering the East Cell Block area. This is the guards' area leading to the cells. Clearly this space could use a coat of paint.   

This is one side of the East Cell Block. The wall on the left is the outside wall. The cell block is 6 stories high and is the only free standing steel cell block in the world, meaning it is not attached directly to any outside walls. This is where most of the paranormal activity has been noticed. Lights flashing (which happened while we were there), doors slamming, footsteps heard walking in front of the cells, shadows looking down from the catwalks, voices of inmates and one warden's wife who was tragically killed when she dropped a loaded gun which discharged striking her in the lung.    

Another design feature are the fancy interior pillars and archways. All this unusual architecture was to inspire the inmates to uplift themselves and turn away from their sinful lifestyles.   

Most of the day was spent in classes or working so the cells were small and spare. The front building is currently being revitalized but the cell blocks, chapel, hospital and library have not had any work done in them. 

This cell gives you any idea how little room was available for 2 people. 

Between the front and back cells is another catwalk used to access the utilities and listen to the conversations of the inmates.

Most the the bedstands were spring wires. This looks more torturous as those slats are solid metal even with the added strings to keep the mattress from sagging between the slats.

The bump-outs behind me on the right is part of the heating system. But the further down to the bottom floor we went the colder it got. I was definitely glad I was wearing long pants but wished I had long sleeves. 

In the hospital, we found one of the jail birds flying around due to broken windows. 

The West Cell Block guard stairway. There were fewer guards as more inmate self-regulation. They could even vote out a cellmate if 3 of the 4 had problems.

The cell blocks were made by professional metal workers but the fancy decorations were created in the metalworking shop. 

Bob found this guy coming out of the Solitary Confinement area. 

This cell was specially created and painted (brown and orange) for a Cleveland Browns football player who was incarcerated for drug possession. 

More leftover posters (Stalin and Lenin) from Air Force One. 

The warden and I were talking about the use of local Ohio commodities like the floor and wall tiles in the residential areas. Some of the furniture was built in the woodworking shop.

We enjoyed our tour and learned a lot of things about late 19th Century rehabilitation efforts. The Ohio State Reformatory opened its doors in September 1896. After housing over 155,000 men in its lifetime, the doors to the prison closed December 31, 1990. Today this historic site receives visitors from all over the world including tourists, movie buffs, thrill seekers and paranormal investigators. The Halloween event renames the Reformatory as Blood Prison. Monsters and the criminally insane roam freely hunting for guests who they can make one of their own.

The Reformatory is considered the most haunted place in the country. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by for a tour or schedule your next meeting, conference, trade show or event at this unique venue. It offers spacious rooms, guided tours and inclusive accommodations. If that's your thing, I would recommend a personal inspection of those accommodations.