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Ohio State Reformatory

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Ohio State Reformatory
Ohio State Reformatory
Ohio State Reformatory is located in Ohio
Ohio State Reformatory
Location within Ohio
Ohio State Reformatory is located in the United States
Ohio State Reformatory
Location within the United States
Location100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield, Ohio
Coordinates40°47′07″N 82°30′18″W / 40.78528°N 82.50500°W / 40.78528; -82.50500
Area40 acres (16 ha)
BuiltBegan: 1886 Completed: 1910
ArchitectLevi T. Scofield
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.83002039[1]
Added to NRHPApril 14, 1983

The Ohio State Reformatory (OSR), also known as the Mansfield Reformatory, is a historic prison located in Mansfield, Ohio in the United States.[2] It was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in operation until 1990, when a United States Federal Court ruling (the 'Boyd Consent Decree') ordered the facility to be closed.[3] While this facility was seen in a number of films (including several while the facility was still in operation), TV shows and music videos, it was made famous by the film The Shawshank Redemption (1994) when it was used for most scenes of the movie.[4] The Ohio State Reformatory is currently open to tourists.[5]

History

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Ohio State Reformatory exterior, romanesque architecture

The history of the Ohio State Reformatory began in 1862: the field where the reformatory would be built was used as a training camp for Civil War soldiers. The camp was named Camp Mordecai Bartley in honor of the Mansfield man who served as Ohio Governor in the 1840s.[6]

The Intermediate (Ohio State Reformatory) was intended as just that, a halfway point between the Boys Industrial School in Lancaster, Ohio and the State Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio for first-time offenders. Construction began in 1886 and remained under construction until 1910 due to funding problems which caused construction delays.[7]

The original architect for the design was Levi T. Scofield from Cleveland, Ohio, who used three architectural styles; Victorian Gothic, Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne.[8] The exterior of the building, which is built from brick and concrete, is designed in the Romanesque style giving the frontage a castle–like appearance. Scofield designed the reformatory with these unique styles to help encourage inmates to become reborn back into their spiritual lives.[9] The creation and construction of the entire building was entrusted to architect Friedrich Ferdinand Schnitzer, whose name also appears on the cornerstone, and is recorded as Superintendent and Supervising Architect on documents.[10] In 1891, the name was changed from Intermediate Penitentiary to Ohio State Reformatory.[11]

On September 15, 1896, the reformatory opened its doors to its first 150 criminals.[12] These prisoners were brought by train from Columbus and put immediately to work on the prison sewer system and the 25–foot stone wall surrounding the complex.[13]

Interior, cell–block windows

Arthur Lewis Glattke was the longest serving warden of Ohio State Reformatory from 1935-1959.[14] Glattke's wife, Helen died several days after she was accidentally shot when a handgun fell and discharged.[15] Arthur Glattke died following a heart attack suffered in his office in 1959.[16]

The prison cemetery contains over 200 prisoners who died while incarcerated as well as two prison guards.[17]

Urban Wilford and Frank Hanger were killed in the line of duty during escape attempts.[17]

Closure

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The Reformatory remained in full operation until December 1990 when it was closed via federal court order. As the result of a prisoners' class action suit citing overcrowding and inhumane conditions (Boyd v. Denton, C.A. 78-1054A (N.D.Oh.)), District Judge Frank J. Battisti of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ordered the prison closed by the end of December 1986.[18] This order was known as the Boyd Consent Decree. The closing date was moved to 1990 due to delays in constructing the replacement facility, the Mansfield Correctional Institution, which stands to the west of the old prison, where the yard, power plant, and other buildings once stood.[19]

Following the reformatory's closure, its walls and outbuildings were demolished.[20] In 1995, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society was formed.[21] The society operates the reformatory as a historic attraction, offering tours and undertaking preservation and restoration projects.[22][23]

Ynterior, steel staircase

The six-tier East Cell Block has been listed by Guinness World Records as the world's largest free-standing cell block.[24]

Restoration

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Single cell

The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society continues to restore and preserve the facility. Restoration projects have included structural repairs, window replacement, flooring repairs, and restoration of interior spaces.[25]

Donations to the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society support maintenance and restoration of the building.[26] Restoration work has included the repair and replacement of windows throughout the reformatory.[27]

Throughout the Halloween season, the building hosts a haunted house through Blood Prison.[28]

The Ohio State Reformatory offers self-guided and guided tours of the historic prison.[29] The reformatory also offers paronormal programs, including ghost walks, public ghost hunts, private paranormal investigations, and educational paranormal programs.[30]

The Ohio Corrections Museum at the reformatory displays the original electric chair from the Ohio Penitentiary, which was used for 315 executions.[31]

Events

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The Shawshank Redemption 30th Anniversary Celebration was hosted August 9–11, 2024.[32]

The Ohio State Reformatory hosts several recurring events throughout the year, including the INKcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, a rock and metal festival that began in 2018, ParaPsyCon, and the Shawshank Hustle, a 7K race whose course passes filming locations from The Shawshank Redemption.[33][34][35]

Films and television

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  • Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) Prison scenes were filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory in 1975, with 65 inmates used as extras.[36]
  • Tango & Cash (1989) – Prison Scenes were used in Ohio State Reformatory when the prison was still in operation.[37]
  • The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Ohio State Reformatory served as Shawshank State Reformatory, with locations including Warden Norton's Office, Brooks' room, and the central guard room for cafeteria scenes.[38]
  • Marilyn Manson – A 1996 photo shoot for Details magazine was photographed at Ohio State Reformatory
  • Air Force One (1997) – Ohio State Reformatory was used to depict the scenes of Russian prison where General Ivan Radek was incarcerated.[39]
  • Godsmack – "Awake" (2000) The music video was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory.[40]
  • The Travel Channel did a tourism documentary [which?] on the OSR.
  • The Travel Channel's television show Destination Fear filmed at the location for the fourth episode of their third season.
  • In 2005, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) investigated the facility for the SciFi Channel's TV series Ghost Hunters.
  • In 2004 Lil Wayne used Ohio State Reformatory to perform his single "Go DJ".[41]
  • In April 2006 the horror/thriller motion picture Fallen Angels (2007) was filmed almost entirely at OSR.
  • WWE shot a promotional poster featuring Triple H for their 2008 Judgment Day event in the facility.
  • In 2009 the facility was featured on Ghost Adventures in Season 3 Episode 4.[which?]
  • In 2010, the facility was used for an episode of Ghost Hunters Academy.
  • It is the filming place for the music video of the song "Relentless Chaos" by Miss May I.
  • The Purple Smoke Project (Hip hop group) filmed a video for the song "Calm Down" in 2011.
  • Attack Attack! shot a portion of their video "Smokahontas" in 2011.
  • Anti-Flag shot the majority of their video for "The New Sound" in the prison.
  • The National Geographic Channel featured the prison on the show Inside: Secret America S1/Ep 05 for the episode "Ghosts" in 2013.
  • Ghost Asylum on Destination America in 2015.
  • In 2016 the reformatory was investigated and featured on The Hambone Show.
  • David Allen Coe and The Moonshine Bandits (2017) recorded a music video for "Take This Job and Shove It".
  • In 2017, nu-metal act Motograter filmed a video for the song "Dorian".
  • On May 11, 2018, the facility was featured on an episode of BuzzFeed Unsolved.
  • On December 4, 2018, the facility was featured on Discovery Channel show Mysteries of the Abandoned, Season 3, Episode 10.
  • In fall 2018, Escape Plan: The Extractors with Sylvester Stallone was filmed at the facility.[42]
  • In April 2019, the facility was used to film country music artist Eric Church's "Some of It" music video.[43]
  • In May 2019, American YouTuber MrBeast did a 24-hour challenge video in the prison with the title, "24 Hours in The Most Haunted Place on Earth."[44]
  • On November 25 and 26, 2019, filming for Judas and the Black Messiah took place at Ohio State Reformatory.[45]
  • In February 28, 2020, Chris Jericho discussed the Ohio State Reformatory and reports of paranormal activity on his podcast, Talk is Jericho.[46]
  • In 2021 YouTubers Sam Golbach & Colby Brock did a paranormal investigation of Ohio State Reformatory for their YouTube series The Attachment.[47]
  • In October 2025, YouTubers Amy & Jarrad did a paranormal investigation of Ohio State Reformatory on their YouTube channel AmysCrypt.[48]
  • In December 2025, YouTube channel Nick and Ryan investigated the paranormal activity in the prison in an almost 2 hour video.[49]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ "The old Ohio State Reformatory, built in stages between 1886 and 1910 in Mansfield, Ohio". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Boyd v. Denton 1:78-01679 (N.D. Ohio) | Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse". clearinghouse.net. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  4. ↑ "The old Ohio State Reformatory, built in stages between 1886 and 1910 in Mansfield, Ohio". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Tours". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Blog". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  7. ↑ "The old Ohio State Reformatory, built in stages between 1886 and 1910 in Mansfield, Ohio". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  8. ↑ "10 Architectural Landmarks That Share Ohio's History". www.ohiomagazine.com. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  9. ↑ Reformatory, The Ohio State. "New At OSR". mrps.org.
  10. ↑ "'Shawshank State Prison'". Virtual Globetrotting.
  11. ↑ "Blog". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  12. ↑ Memory, Ohio (October 12, 2018). "Penalty and Incentive: The Ohio State Reformatory -". Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  13. ↑ Memory, Ohio (October 12, 2018). "Penalty and Incentive: The Ohio State Reformatory -". Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ghost stories of 'The Shawshank Redemption' prison live on in Mansfield". WOSU Public Media. October 31, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Ghost stories of 'The Shawshank Redemption' prison live on in Mansfield". WOSU Public Media. October 31, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ Papoi, Jean-Marie (October 31, 2025). "Ghost stories of 'The Shawshank Redemption' prison live on in Mansfield". WYSU 88.5 FM. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Ohio State Reformatory". Ohio Exploration Society. May 25, 2016.
  18. ↑ "cases.ohiocourtofclaims.gov". Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Boyd v. Denton 1:78-01679 (N.D. Ohio) | Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse". clearinghouse.net. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ admin (June 19, 2017). "The History of MRPS". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  21. ↑ admin (June 19, 2017). "The History of MRPS". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Home". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  23. ↑ Smith, Emily (March 2, 2026). "Restoring History". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Ohio State Reformatory". Ohio Exploration Society. May 25, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  25. ↑ Smith, Emily (March 2, 2026). "Restoring History". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Our Story". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  27. ↑ Smith, Emily (March 2, 2026). "Restoring History". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Blood Prison: Ohio's Ultimate Haunted House Await". Blood Prison at The Historic Ohio State Reformatory. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Tours". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Paranormal Programs". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Ohio Corrections Museum". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Shawshank Redemption 30th Anniversary Celebration". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  33. ↑ INKCARCERATION (August 12, 2026). "About | INKCARCERATION". Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  34. ↑ "ParaPsyCon Se7en". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Shawshank Hustle". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  36. ↑ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  37. ↑ Smith, Emily (February 2, 2026). "All Is Not What It Seems". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Shawshank Museum". The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  39. ↑ drmadmin (April 30, 2026). "Filming in Mansfield, Ohio | Destination Mansfield". destinationmansfield.com. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  40. ↑ "INKCARCERATION 2019 reveals featured tattoo artists, shops". Alternative Press. January 21, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  41. ↑ Staff, Billboard (July 29, 2004). "Lil' Wayne Shoots Video In Former Jail". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  42. ↑ O'Connor, Clint. "Mansfield Reformatory still grips fans 25 years after movie's release". The News-Herald. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  43. ↑ Eric Church - Some Of It, retrieved September 28, 2026
  44. ↑ MrBeast (May 30, 2019). 24 Hours In The Most Haunted Place On Earth. Retrieved September 28, 2026 – via YouTube.
  45. ↑ Chakrabartty, Nishan (February 11, 2021). "Where Was Judas and the Black Messiah Filmed?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Talk Is Jericho". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  47. ↑ Sam and Colby (April 3, 2022). Our Horrifying Night in Haunted Prison (SCARY). Retrieved September 28, 2026 – via YouTube.
  48. ↑ AmysCrypt (April 16, 2022). ALONE in OHIO STATE REFORMATORY | Haunted Shawshank Prison Where Something Touched Me!. Retrieved September 28, 2026 – via YouTube.
  49. ↑ Nick and Ryan (December 12, 2025). Locked Inside Ohio's Most Haunted Prison. Retrieved September 28, 2026 – via YouTube.
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