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When Eastern State opened more than 180 years ago, it changed the world. Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world’s first true “penitentiary,” a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of prisoners.
- Timeline
Opened in 1829 as part of a controversial movement to change...
- Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and...
- Timeline
Construction commenced in 1822. Designed by John Haviland and opened on October 25, 1829, Eastern State is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary, with seven corridors of heated and sky-lighted cells capable of holding 500 convicts in isolation.
Eastern State Penitentiary, former prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., that opened in 1829 as the first true penitentiary, designed to encourage penitence, rather than offering merely punishment for prisoners. It provided a model for approximately 300 prison buildings worldwide.
Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers.
Opened in 1829 as part of a controversial movement to change the behavior of people convicted of crimes through "confinement in solitude with labor," Eastern State Penitentiary quickly became one of the most expensive and most copied buildings in the young United States.
24 lis 2020 · Eastern State Penitentiary. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The stunning Gothic Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia set a new standard in prison design and ideology when it opened in 1829, leaning on the principles of reform over punishment.
30 wrz 2008 · Learn how Philadelphia led the way in prison reform with the Pennsylvania System, which isolated prisoners in solitary cells for repentance and rehabilitation. Discover the history and legacy of Eastern State Penitentiary, the world's first prison based on this radical idea.
