Showing posts with label Al Capone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al Capone. Show all posts

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Eastern State Pen

click to embiggen


The last time I was in Philly, I visited the Eastern State Penitentiary. It was first built in 1776 and was known as the Walnut Street Jail. In 1836, work was completed, and 450 cells were available to house inmates. Famous for its radial or wagon wheel floor plan, over 300 prisons worldwide have copied this architectural style. Some of America's most notorious criminals were held within the penitentiary's walls, including Willie Sutton and Al Capone. After being totally abandoned in 1971, preservation efforts continue and over 100,000 visitors a year tour the prison remains. It is amazing that this giant walled piece of history still stands in the midst of a bustling Philadelphia. So is it haunted? The negative energies were so dense, I had to leave after about twenty minutes.


Capone's cell ... obviously privileged
(click to embiggen)