Punishment Area: Cellblock 13

Punishment Area: Cellblock 13. . , The doorway to the left leads to Cellblock 13, one of Eastern State Penitentiary's 20th century punishment areas. These spaces were called "the Hole" or "the Klondike." Seven of the twelve inmates who participated in a 1945 tunnel escape were held here in solitary confinement after their recapture., Although it's hard to picture now, this was once one of the most severe punishment blocks at the prison. It contained ten dark, poorly ventilated solitary cells, with a shower room at one end of the block. These cells were about half the size of a typical Eastern State cell, each with an iron bed, running water, heat, and no lights. Remnants of the cell walls can still be seen here., Cellblock 13 opened between 1909 and 1926, but little is known about its early use. More is known about its 1959 closure, which resulted from an investigation into prison conditions by state authorities. Cellblock 13 was then used as storage space until Eastern State Penitentiary closed in 1970.