Ohio State Reformatory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ohio State Reformatory, circa 2005.

The Ohio State Reformatory (OSR), (also known as the Mansfield Reformatory), is a historic prison located in Mansfield, Ohio, USA.

The facility was built between 1886 and 1910. The original architect for the design was Levi T Scofield from Cleveland, although much of the work was entrusted to the supervising architect, F F Schnitzer, whose name appears on the cornerstone as Surveyor alongside Scofield as Architect. F.F. Schnitzer was presented with a silver double inkwell by the governor of the state in a lavish ceremony to thank him for his services. Although the architecture is often described as Germanic castle architecture, it is actually mostly Romanesque Revival.

The Reformatory and remained in full operation until 1972 once the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility was opened. The facility was completely closed down in 1990. Part of the grounds and support buildings however, including the outer wall have been demolished since the closing. In 1995, the "Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society" was formed. They have turned the prison into a museum and conduct tours to help fund grounds rehabilitation projects and currently work to stabilize the buildings against further deterioration.

The facility still holds the largest free standing cell block in the world at six tiers high.

From 1935 until 1959 Arthur Lewis Glattke was the Superintendent. Initially a political appointment following Glattke's work on the Martin Davey campaign, by all accounts Glattke was respected by professionals and inmates alike. He implemented many reforms such as piped in radio music in the cell blocks. Glattke's wife, Helen Bauer Glattke, died of pneumonia three days following an accident in November 1950 where a handgun discharged when she was reaching into a jewelry box in the family's quarters. Glattke died following a heart attack suffered in his office on February 10, 1959.

OSR is supposedly haunted with several paranormal "hotspots" such as the two chapels, the area around the warden's office, the infirmary and solitary confinement. Over 200 people died at the OSR, including a few guards who were killed during escape attempts.

[edit] Restoration and Tours

The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society is currently working to restore the facility to its original state. Restorations to date include the removal of debris, replacement of roofing, complete restoration of the Warden's quarters, as well as the complete restoration of the central guard room between the East and West Cell Blocks. The restorations are being funded through donations and tour fees.

Tours are given Tuesday through Friday at 2pm, as well as in the afternoons on Sundays starting every 15 minutes. The last tour is at 4:45pm on Sundays. Tours are only available in the summer, starting around Memorial Day.

For an unguided tour, adult guests can take part in ghost hunts in the summer for a $50 fee. Guests will be given free-range of the castle armed with only flashlights for the hours between 7:30pm and 6am. Guests can leave at anytime, but may not re-enter. These dates in the summer sell out very quickly.

Today the location serves as a hot spot for haunted house go-ers offering the "Haunted Prision Experience" during the month of October. Tickets go for $14 and gates open at 6:30 pm.

[edit] Movies and television

The facility gained fame when it served as Shawshank State Prison in the 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

The facility has also been used in many other productions (even while it still held inmates), such as

Harry and Walter Go to New York, 1976 - Harry and Walter spend some time behind bars at the penitentiary.
Tango & Cash, 1989 - The facility is used for various prison scenes.
Air Force One, 1997 - The prison was used for scenes of a Russian prison for General Radek.
Godsmack "Awake" 2000
Marilyn Manson promotional photography, 1996 - Marilyn Manson grew up in Canton OH.
Ohio State Reformatory has been the subject of numerous paranormal investigation shows, including the Fox Family Channel's Scariest Stories on Earth, and Scariest Places On Earth.
The Travel Channel did a tourism documentary on the OSR.
In 2005, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) investigated the faculty for the SciFi Channel's TV series, Ghost Hunters.