Historical Marker
The historical marker provided by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission for the Eastern State Penitentiary.
Fairmount Avenue
One of the auxiliary towers of the fortress style prison that Eastern State Penitentiary. This view is from outside the prison walls, on Fairmont Avenue, in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, PA. Towers, such as this, have no windows on the inside and no entrances. The architecture was meant to scare people away and keep prisoners inside its walls.
Southeast Guard Tower
The southeast guard tower at the Eastern State Penitentiary, adjacent from cellblock 1.
Cellblock 1
Opened in 1829, the design of theese cellblocks had a "church-like appearance". The cells had wooden floors and a high, arched ceiling almost like a chapel - with a round skylight, called a "dead eye", or "Eye of God". Known as the "Pennsylvania System", the design of solitary confinement was intended lead criminals to be penitent, leading to rehabilitation. Hence the term "penitentiary", which originated with Eastern State.
Passageways
A small doorway passage between cell blocks at Eastern State Penitentiary.
Cellblock 3
The medical wing of Eastern State Penitentiary.
Cell Block 7
To expand Eastern State Penitentiary, the architect designed and built additional cell blocks - 5, 6, & 7. These cell blocks became two-stories, with 30 foot, barrel vaulted ceilings.
Upper Gallery
The upper gallery of cell block 7, looking southwest, from just inside of the center of Eastern State Penitentiary.
Lower Gallery
The lower gallery of cell block 7, looking southwest, from just inside of the center of Eastern State Penitentiary.
Light of God
From the lower gallery of cell block 7 at Eastern State Penitentiary, from the just inside the center of the prison, skylights can be seen illuminating the cell block. These skylights were installed to remind prisoners that the light of God was always upon them.
Cell Life
The cells in cell block 4, similar to those in cellblock 1 also had wooden floors and a high, arched ceiling almost like a chapel—with a round skylight, called the “dead eye.”
Overwatch
The center of the prison from the northeast prison yard. Here the center overwatch tower and the front entrance tower can be seen.
Cellblock 14
Built with inmate labor, 100 years after the opening of Eastern State Penitentiary. Built the same as previous cellblocks, but three stories high and curved to fit between existing building. The cells in this building were designed for two inmates each, but were also smaller than in previous cellblocks.
Cellblock 2
The long corridor of cellblock 2, looking towards the center of Eastern State Penitentiary.
The Barber Chair
Corrupt guards would strap inmates to a so-called "mad chair" so tightly that they would lose circulation in their limbs. The prisoner would then be left there for days without food or water, naturally turning them mad. Pictured here, however, is an innocuous barber's chair in cell block 10.
Cellblock 8
The cellblock that housed the notorious Al Capone prior to being arrested and sentenced to sent to Alcatraz for tax evasion.
Park Avenue
The cell of Al Capone, otherwise known as "Park Avenue", (in cellblock 8) who was incarcerated for carrying a concealed weapon. Capone spent eight months of a one year sentence in this cell. The room was decorated to Capone’s demands according to a newspaper description written in The Philadelphia Public Ledger on August 20, 1929. The article suggested that Capone was allowed luxuries others were not, though the warden denied the report. Luxuries included an armchair, Oriental rug, decorative lamps, a radio, and an armoire, in addition to other creature comforts. A mural is also reported to have been painted on the back wall, which can be partially seen in the upper right corner of the cell today.
Tower Entrance and Exit
The only entry and exit point of Eastern State Prison. Inmates would be brought in by local sheriff's and police through this point and taken in to the intake center, straight ahead from this entrance. After being photographed and fingerprinted, inmates were reported to have been blindfolded so as not to see the layout of the prison.