Eastern State Penitentiary, an imposing castle, was built to watch over the citizens of Philadelphia. It held prisoners for 141 years, from 1829 to 1971. It was initially designed to hold prisoners in complete isolation. The Quakers of Pennsylvania thought that undisturbed reflection would turn scoundrels into a citizens. To achieve this isolation the building employed cutting-edge technology such as indoor plumbing. This was a big deal. In 1829 the President of the United States still pooped in a bucket. Eventually, the idealistic system of isolation was abandoned in favor of packing more people behind bars. This approach still prevails.
If you are in Philadelphia, ESP is a must see. I didn’t even begin to describe the great art installations scattered throughout the complex. And guess who narrates the audio tour, come on guess. He is the perfect person to narrate a prison ruin. Here is a hint, he’s out of his element and better shut the f*ck up.
If you want to learn more about Eastern State listen to Radiolab’s Morality episode.