Eastern State Penitentiary: Part 2
Last week I shared some of my photos from the crumbling interior of the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. ESP was operational from 1829 until 1971, was designed by John Haviland and was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed.
It sits in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, and looks completely out of place nestled in a neighborhood of coffee shops and row houses. Some of the most interesting stories on the audio tour were about ESP's famous inmates, notably Al Capone and "Slick" Willie Sutton. Slick Willie was one of twelve inmates who escaped via a tunnel in April of 1945. Eleven of them were eventually recaptured and one—James Grace—even asked to be let back in.
The tunnel has recently been excavated (after being filled in following the escape) and you can actually walk inside of the cell and see the opening. A line on the pavement outside traces the tunnel's route, under the ground and past the outside walls.
ESP is filled with fascinating stories like this, but my favorite inmate is definitely Pep the dog. In 1924, Pep was sentenced to life in prison for killing the Pennsylvania Governor's cat—or at least that's what a newspaper reporter wrote at the time. The real story is slightly less dramatic, and has Pep being sent to the prison to help rehabilitate prisoners (and because he was chewing on the Governor's couch cushions). Either way, there is a mugshot of Pep, which is pretty fantastic.
ESP's most famous prisoner, however, is probably Al Capone, who spent 8 months at Eastern State in 1929-1930. They've recreated his cell as it looked when he was there, complete with fancy furniture, an oriental rug, soft lighting, artwork and a radio.
Another cell even has a full-sized tree growing through the wall, and it continues into the neighboring cell. There is so much history at Eastern State and there was something fascinating in every single corner I peeked into. The day I went was beautiful and sunny, and you get to wander the grounds as freely as you do the interior. I hesitate to say that I thoroughly enjoyed being inside of a prison, but even if I was sad to leave, I'm glad I at least had the option.
