The massive walls of Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary may be scarred, cracked and crumbling in places, but they are still intimidating — a reminder that they once shielded the outside world from the evil-doers confined within. In the early days, it didn’t matter if you were a horse thief; a hungry child caught stealing a loaf of bread, or a lady of the evening who quoted a price to the wrong man. You break the law; you go to jail.

Although the inmate population is long gone, the prison remains open as a historic site, attracting visitors who are interested in history, architecture, or the chance for a close encounter of the supernatural kind.

Fairmount’s Castle

Eastern State, which looms ominously over the surrounding cityscape of the Fairmount neighborhood, just north of the Ben Franklin Parkway, in Philadelphia, may not be the oldest existing major prison complex in the United States, but it serves as a frightening reminder of the fate that once awaited anyone who committed a crime. With massive 30-foot walls, slit-like windows and crenellated towers, the structure – which looks like an imposing, no-nonsense castle-fort -- designed and built by architect John Haviland in 1829, once stood at the heart of rolling meadows, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. But as the city’s boundaries expanded the prison’s 11 acres came to be encased on all sides by the row homes, restaurants and shops that still surround it today.

You Don’t Have to Believe in Ghosts

You don’t have to believe in ghosts to get goose bumps after entering Eastern State’s cool, shadowy corridors, where it’s easy to forget that the 21st century exists at all, much less just steps away, a short walk beyond the penitentiary’s massive front door. Here, it’s not hard to visualize the prisoners sitting silently in their cells behind heavy cast-iron doors. Those who could read were allowed to study the Bible beneath “The Eye of God,” a narrow beam of sunlight shining down through a tiny hole in the ceiling. Those who couldn’t read whiled away their time with their memories, as they waited for their twice-daily 30 minutes in the exercise yard -- the only time inmates were permitted to leave their cells.

High, Vaulted Ceilings

The interior of Eastern State Penitentiary was initially not designed to be as forbidding as the exterior. The high, vaulted ceilings in the oldest wing create an almost cathedral-like atmosphere, designed to inspire a feeling of penitence among the prisoners. Cells were arranged spoke-like around a central rotunda, to allow guards easier access and supervision of the hundreds of inmates who were housed there. Living conditions, on the surface, were better than most criminals had enjoyed in the outside world. Each prisoner had access to running water, his own source of heat and a flush toilet for his private use. Eastern State, in fact, was once considered such a model of efficiency that it inspired more than 300 imitations around the world.

Crushing Silence

But for the men and women confined within its walls, the amenities did little to counterbalance the crushing silence that was mandated by law. The inmates were not allowed to speak to one another or to the guards. To minimize any chance of communication, in the early days they were forced to wear hoods without eyeholes whenever they left their cells. Those who violated the rules often found themselves buried alive in the underground “Hole,” a section of narrow, windowless cells that remained a feature of most prisons well into the 20th century.

A Non-Profit Existing on Ticket Sales

Sean Kelley, Director of Public Programming, at eastern State, said that the city of Philadelphia still owns the prison but it is operated by a private, non-profit foundation with a 21-member board of trustees. While the city occasionally offers assistance with capital projects, such as roof repair, Kelley noted that most of the prison’s income is derived from ticket sales. Approximately 250,000 people visit the site each year to stroll the grounds or participate in “Terror Behind the Walls,” its highly popular annual Halloween event.

Kelley is delighted by the positive public response he has seen because, for too many years, prisons were a part of American history that most people didn’t want to acknowledge.

“There’s a new generation that understands places like Eastern State are a part of the history of everyday people,” he said. “Since about 75,000 men and women served time here over the years, we constantly receive requests from people involved in genealogical research who believe an ancestor may once have been an inmate.”

Mount Holly Jail and Museum

Directly across the Delaware River lies a slightly older but otherwise similar historic site — the Mount Holly Jail, more commonly known as the Burlington County Prison. In the early 19th century, the town of Mount Holly, which then served as the county seat of Burlington County, was selected as the site of the prison. The facility opened its doors in 1811 and continued to house prisoners until 1965.

These days, the imposing three-story gray stone structure, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in May, is open to the public as a museum. The building includes many original features, such as the massive front door, with its large hinges and lock, and the heavy grated cast iron doors that mark the entries to the different floors. The interior, with its vaulted concrete ceilings, has been whitewashed, as it was when the prison first opened. Guided tours provide a close-up look at the cells, and at copies of inmate graffiti that have been preserved and exhibited throughout the building. The prison yard was once the site of public hangings on gallows that were erected there. Up until it closed, Burlington County was the oldest continually operating prison in the United States.

Prison Designed by Friend of Thomas Jefferson

The prison was designed and built by architect Robert Mills, a friend of Thomas Jefferson, who created it as an environment that was supposedly less physically intimidating than other jails. Every inmate had his own cell, complete with a window at eye level and a fireplace, as well as a prayer book or Bible for spiritual instruction. The solitude was supposed to keep the prisoners from the corrupting influences of others and give them time to repent their crimes.

However, debtors were housed sometimes three or four together in the larger rooms on the main hallways, and worked at different jobs within the prison during the day. A maximum-security cell, known as the dungeon, was located at the center of the top floor, to prevent prisoners from digging their way out or communicating with other inmates. The location also made it easier for the guards to maintain constant surveillance as they made their rounds. An iron ring was placed in the center of the floor, where an unruly prisoner could be chained.

Jail Breaks

Despite all precautions, there were periodic jail breaks. In 1875, some prisoners punched a hole through the ceiling of an upper corridor to gain access to the roof. Although the guards were immediately alerted, several of the men were never captured.

The warden and his wife initially shared a two-room apartment inside the prison when it first opened. While he supervised the male prisoners, she was responsible for the activities of the female inmates. A separate home, just recently restored and opened to the public, was later built for them on an adjacent property.

Mills, who later designed part of Independence Hall, the Washington Monument and other structures of national significance, was considered a radical for producing such an unusual prison. But in the years that followed, his ideas and those of other reformers were slowly adopted by a society that began to believe even hardened offenders could be rehabilitated.

Janet Sozio, president of the prison’s seven-person board of trustees, said that about 4,000 people annually visit the prison, which is especially popular around Halloween. Since the property is owned by Burlington County, the board does not usually have to worry about funding because the county attends to most of the site’s needs. However, they are currently seeking support to replace the wall around the prison.

“Burlington County Prison needs to be preserved not just because it was built by Robert Mills, America’s first native-born and native-trained architect,” Sozio noted. “It’s more than that — there’s a microcosm of 19th and 20th century history encapsulated behind its walls.”

For further information on Eastern State Penitentiary, which is located at 2027 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, call 215-236-3300 or visit the website at www.EasternState.org. Located at the intersection of Route 541 and Grant Street, further information on the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly is available by calling 609-518-7667 or visiting the website at www.prisonmuseum.net.

Patricia A. Martinelli was appointed administrator/curator of the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society in Vineland, New Jersey, in February 2011. A veteran museum professional, with 15 years of experience in the field, she has also written a number of books for Stackpole Books of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, on true crime, and folklore.