Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Eastern State Penitentiary
Above: Eastern State Penitentiary the year after it opened. Engraving by Charles Burton, 1831. Image: collection of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.
Left: Eastern State Penitentiary of Pennsylvania Near Philadelphia, George Lehman, 1833. Image: courtesy of the Historical Society Pennsylvania (HSP).
Above: The State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, original drawn by Samuel Cowperthwaite, inmate 2954. Lithograph by P.S. Duval and Co., 1855. Image: courtesy of the Library Company of Philadelphia.
Erected by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Law Enforcement • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1831.
Location. 39° 58.053′ N, 75° 10.318′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Eastern State Penitentiary. It can be reached from Fairmount Avenue west of North 21st Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2030 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia PA 19130, United States
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Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Eastern State Penitentiary (within shouting distance of this marker); Born at "E.S.P." (within shouting distance of this marker); Escape! (within shouting distance of this marker); Restored Bocce Court (within shouting distance of this marker); Eastern State Penitentiary Terrace Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Eastern State Penitentiary (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Eastern State Penitentiary (within shouting distance of this marker); Punishment Area: Cellblock 13 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 267 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 22, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on January 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
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