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| Photograph ©Susan@Streamlets |
Don’t let the picture above fool you, the Ohio State Reformatory is within the top five largest prisons in the United States of America. The Ohio State Reformatory, however, stands as a colossus among the top five largest prisons in the United States. A mastermind named Levi Scofield envisioned and designed this architectural marvel, with its exterior resembling a fortress and the interior echoing the sacred ambiance of a church. Levi's visionary intent was to inspire incarcerated souls to cast away their malevolent paths and embrace the righteousness of God. Today, this sprawling two hundred and fifty-thousand-square-foot prison serves as a museum, offering visitors three distinctive tours that unravel the secrets held within its walls.
The roots of this imposing structure stretch back to the Civil War era when the land, now occupied by the reformatory, lay bare. Union soldiers utilized this very ground for Camp Mordecai Bartley, a training camp chosen for its strategically positioned natural springs. Post-war, the site witnessed the construction of a reform school for boys. Eventually, in the early nineteenth century, the institution transformed into a federal prison, welcoming inmates from all corners of the nation. However, the early '90s witnessed the emergence of a new prison behind the reformatory, leading to the relocation of its inmates.
By 1995, the Ohio State Reformatory stood desolate, a vast emptiness that found purpose as a cinematic backdrop in renowned films like Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One. In 1996, the Preservation Society breathed new life into the abandoned structure, orchestrating tours to generate funds for the restoration of other historic buildings on the property. Presently, the Preservation Society holds custodianship of the reformatory, shielding it from the ravages of time, ensuring its preservation for generations yet to come.
Beyond its identity as a tourist attraction, the Ohio State Reformatory reveals itself as a magnet for spirits, the echoes of lives lost within its confines lingering on the land.
Within the East Administration Building, whispers of disembodied voices reverberate from the former warden's quarters. Former Warden Glattke and his wife seem to engage in heated arguments, their spectral presence extending to various locations, including the Administration Wing, the courtyard, and several hallways. Mrs. Glattke, often found in her former abode, known as the White Room, brings with her the transient fragrance of roses, a scent that materializes and vanishes abruptly. Startlingly, Mrs. Glattke has communicated with the living, her voice captured on tape, a spectral testament to her lingering presence.
Negative energies seem to converge in the chapel and the west wing shower room, where apparitions of men appear, perhaps still seeking reconciliation with the divine. The shower room witnesses sightings of full-bodied apparitions and vaporous mists materializing and dissipating mysteriously.
In the cell blocks, some spirits, unbound by the physical realm, made their presence known in a more tangible manner. Two female paranormal investigators reported encounters with disembodied hands, shoulders held back, and hands gently guiding one up a flight of stairs. The eerie touch extended to playful tickling on the neck. Others who ventured into the reformatory faced unseen forces blowing in their faces, attempting to choke, shove, hit, punch, and even hurl them down staircases.
Behind the charming Queen Anne/Victorian Gothic exterior lies a realm of foreboding and fright within the walls of this aging prison. While some apparitions bear no malice, others harbor hate, seeking vengeance against any who dare trespass upon their spectral domain. The Ohio State Reformatory stands not only as a monument to architectural prowess but also as a haunted testament to the echoes of history that refuse to fade away.
Address:
100 Reformatory Road
Mansfield, Ohio 44905
(419) 522-2644
Website