National Historic Landmark

Eastern State Penitentiary

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000680

About this property

The Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Fairmount section of the city, and was operational from 1829 until 1971. The penitentiary refined the revolutionary system of separate incarceration, first pioneered at the Walnut Street Jail, which emphasized principles of reform rather than punishment. Notorious criminals such as Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton were held inside its innovative wagon wheel design. For their role in the Kelayres massacre of 1934, James Bruno (Big Joe) and several male relatives were incarcerated here between 1936 and 1948, before they were paroled. At its completion, the building was the largest and most expensive public structure ever erected in the United States, and quickly became a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. The prison is currently a U.S. National Historic Landmark, which is open to the public as a museum for tours daily.

Location

21st St. and Fairmount Ave.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.96816, -75.17291

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
2.8 mi
Battle of Barren Hill
1778Revolutionary War
4.3 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Eastern State Penitentiary listed on the National Register?

Eastern State Penitentiary was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Eastern State Penitentiary?

Eastern State Penitentiary is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Eastern State Penitentiary a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Eastern State Penitentiary has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Eastern State Penitentiary?

The period of significance for Eastern State Penitentiary is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Eastern State Penitentiary?

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