The Ohio Penitentiary

The Ohio Penitentiary. . , The Ohio Penitentiary was located at the corner of Neil Avenue and Spring Street, just across from North Bank Park. For more than 160 years its imposing castle-like faחade with thick walls, guard towers, and steel gates were both beautiful and intimidating. The architecture was designed to impress prisoners and make a statement about the consequences of a life of crime. The first 189 prisoners marched through its gates in 1834., The Ohio Penitentiary was considered ahead of its time and a model prison for many years. Buildings were added and demolished, and the prison was expanded to house more inmates. During the late 1800s, tourists came to gawk at prisoners marching in military formation and at work., Living was difficult at the Ohio Pen. Historians describe prison life as, "days of silent labor with lock downs in solitary confinement at night." Punishment for breaking the rules was swift and painful., However, the goal of the Ohio Penitentiary was to rehabilitate convicts by teaching them a trade. Prisoners were required to work in the kitchens, bakery, dining room, and state shop where they made all the clothing worn by inmates. In addition, prison labor was used to make brooms, hoes, cigars, bolts, etc. that were sold to underwrite the costs of operation. Prisoner details were also used to build roads, parks and public facilities., The Pen housed women prisoners from 1837 until 1916 when female inmates transferred to the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. A small segregated cellblock in the southeast corner of the complex included several women facing execution., The Pen housed many famous prisoners over the years, including Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, William Sydney Porter (Gift of the Magi author O. Henry), Harry Pierpont (John Dillinger Gang), and Dr. Sam Shepherd (Shepherd's story was the basis for film and TV series The Fugitive).