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Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio

The Ohio State Reformatory is a prison built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in full operation until 1972 once the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility was opened. The facility was completely closed down in 1990. Part of the grounds and support buildings however, including the outer wall have been demolished since the closing. In 1995, the “Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society” was formed. They have turned the prison into a museum and conduct tours to help fund grounds rehabilitation projects and currently work to stabilize the buildings against further deterioration. The facility still holds the largest free standing cell block in the world at six tiers high.

The prison gained fame when it served as Shawshank State Prison in the 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. It was also featured in many other productions, even before its closing.

Submitted by and photograph taken by Bob from Rejected Memories