The Abandoned Mansfield Reformatory In Ohio Is One Of The Eeriest Places In America
By Sarah McCosham|Published September 07, 2022
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
There’s something about abandoned places that capture the imagination — whether you believe in ghosts or not. And in Mansfield, Ohio, there is an abandoned place that’s absolutely spellbinding. Formerly known as the Mansfield Reformatory, this historic prison, now known as the Ohio State Reformatory, opened in 1886 and is nearly 130 years old. The reformatory is known to house some of the country’s most violent ghosts, and is considered one of the eeriest abandoned places in Ohio — and America.
In the rolling countryside of Mansfield, Ohio, there is a Gothic-style building that appears, at first, almost like an enchanted castle.
What is this place? It's the Ohio State Reformatory (formerly known as Mansfield Reformatory), and it's one of the most haunted abandoned places in Ohio -- and America.
It's known to house some of the country's most violent ghosts; spirits of rioting inmates who fought each other to the death in overcrowded cells. This prison closed in 1990, after nearly 100 years, during which time 154,000 inmates called it home.
The conditions here were, at best, basic. A cell while the reformatory was operating would have contained a desk, a stool, two footlockers, and two bunk beds.
Cells in the West Cell Block are slightly larger than cells in the East Cell Block, but both eventually housed two inmates each due to overcrowded conditions.
Originally, the cells on this block housed one inmate each, but due to overcrowded conditions began housing two inmates each in the early 1900s. The reformatory was especially overcrowded in the 1920s due to prohibition, and became even more overcrowded in the 1930s during the Great Depression. This place was a runaway train headed for disaster.
The highest committed crimes of inmates at the reformatory during this time period were robbery, burglary/larceny, and auto-stealing. The average yearly population in 1934 was 3,500 men. This severe overcrowding led to declining conditions -- and ultimately, numerous deaths. Violent, tortured deaths.
The most infamous tale of the prison involves "the hole," a small cell in which prisoners were held for three days when they were being punished. Several sources have reported that at one time there were two inmates held in "the hole" -- and by the end of the three days one did not make it out alive.
If these walls could talk, what would they say? "The Shawshank Redemption" offers one tale, but you can discover your own ghost story when you explore the Ohio State Reformatory on a tour.
Have you visited the Ohio State Reformatory, the eeriest abandoned place in America? If you have, we’d love to hear about your experience; and if you haven’t? Well, visit the Ohio State Reformatory website and plan your next Buckeye State adventure!
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