Eastern State Penitentiary
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. The building itself was an architectural wonder; it had running water and central heat before the White House, and attracted visitors from around the globe.
Opened in 1829 as part of a controversial movement to change the behavior of inmates 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.
In 1832 Eastern State Penitentiary had its first escape. An inmate, who served as the warden's waiter, lowers himself from the roof of the front building. Once captured, this inmate will escape in the same manner in 1837.
1929 - 1930 Chicago gangster Al Capone spends eight months at Eastern State Penitentiary.
“It seems like I’m responsible for every crime that takes place in this country.”
Once again the Washington National Cathedral has amazed me!
Recently I took a tour to see the Gargoyle and Grotesques. The description of the tour said their would be a lot of stairs, walking, tight spaces and you should not be afraid of heights. All true! Also shared, was all the history and thought that has went into the construction and the purpose of the Cathedral. Did you know….there are many notable people buried at the Cathedral, Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller to name a couple.