Monday, September 16, 2019

Mansfield, Ohio: Ohio State Reformatory

Time for a photography tip - sometimes it's a good idea to take more than one photo of a place, particularly if you aren't likely to see it again.

My photo of the Ohio State Reformatory was taken through a wire fence after closing time. Sure enough, the shot didn't come out. So I use this here with the hopeful courtesy of Ohio Magazine; I'll pull it if I hear about an objection.

The prison has become world famous in the last 25 years or so, and for an unlikely reason. After more than a century of use, it closed in 1990. So it was sitting vacant when a movie called "The Shawshank Redemption" came in and filled within its confines during filming in 1993.

The movie became a surprise hit in 1994 after a slow start at the box office (it found an audience on cable, and still pops up a lot), and ranks with many as one of the most popular movies of its time. That means people wanted to see where it was filmed, and the good folks of Mansfield, Ohio, realized they had a windfall on their hands. The facility is now open for tours for much of the year, including ghost tours. Mansfield apparently needs some economic help, so this was a nice bit of economic news.

The building has a classic architectural look - even through the wire fence.

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