The largest and most expensive public structure ever erected in the United States was the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Considered the world’s first true Penitentiary, it was constructed between 1822 and 1836 on a radial, or wagon wheel, design. Operating between 1829 and 1971, it became the model for more than three hundred other prisons. Its philosophy was “...to link solitude with moral and vocational instruction.” Each cell had its own exercise yard behind it and time out in the yard was synchronized so that no two adjoining prisoners would be out at the same time. This was to minimize any possible inter-prisoner communications. In addition, guards would place hoods over the prisoner’s head so that they would not be recognized by others. For its time, the ESP cells were considered to be quite advanced, in that they each had running water and flush toilets. Notable criminals that were incarcerated here included Al Capone ( 8 months between 1929 and 1930 for weapons charges), bank robber Willie Sutton, and Leo Callahan, who is considered to be the only inmate ever to successfully escape (1923) from ESP. While technically considered to be “still at large”, Callahan would now be over 110 years old. Eastern State Penitentiary closed in 1971 and is now a museum and National Historic Site.
Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) on Fairmount Ave in Philadelphia was just 100 yards up the street from our apartment. Designed on a radial, or wagon wheel, plan, ESP was the largest public structure ever built in the U.S. During the first phases of construction, the cellblocks were only one story high... ...but as overcrowding became an issue, new construction added a second tier. While typical cells had only a cot, running water, and a flush toilet... ... if you had money, like Al Capone, your accommodations could be a little more luxurious. Already an international celebrity, Al Capone was greeted by movie cameras and hundreds of onlookers upon his 1930 release ( after serving 8 month’s on weapons charges). A number of movies were filmed within the confines of ESP, including the 1998 “Return to Paradise” with Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, and Joaquin Phoenix.
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Carl and Lorraine Aveni are two retirees planning on traveling through Europe for at least one year.
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