Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Eastern State Penitentiary shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Eastern State Penitentiary offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Eastern State Penitentiary at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Eastern State Penitentiary? Wrong! If the Eastern State Penitentiary is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Eastern State Penitentiary then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Eastern State Penitentiary? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Eastern State Penitentiary and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Eastern State Penitentiary wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Eastern State Penitentiary then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Eastern State Penitentiary site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Eastern State Penitentiary, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Eastern State Penitentiary, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
The
Eastern State Penitentiary is a former state prison in the
United States. It is located on Fairmount Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets in the Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, 5 blocks north of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
History
Designed by
John Haviland and opened in 1829, Eastern State is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary. Its revolutionary system of incarceration, dubbed the
Pennsylvania System, originated and encouraged solitary confinement as a form of rehabilitation. It was opposed contemporaneously by the Auburn System (also known as the New York System), which held that prisoners should be forced to work together in silence, and could be subjected to physical punishment (
Sing Sing Correctional Facility prison was an example of the Auburn system). Although the Auburn system was favored in the United States, Eastern State's radial floorplan and system of solitary confinement was the model for over 300 prisons worldwide.
Eastern State was viewed as a progressive reform in that it eliminated many of the excesses of physical punishment in
colonial America. Despite this, it was widely believed (then and now) to have caused significant
mental illness among its prisoners due to its solitary confinement. The system quickly collapsed due to overcrowding problems. By 1913, Eastern State officially abandoned the solitary system and operated as a congregate prison until it closed in 1970 (Eastern State was briefly used to house city inmates in 1971 after a riot at Holmesburg Prison).
The prison was one of the largest public-works projects of the early republic, and was a tourist destination in the 19th century. Notable visitors included Charles Dickens and
Alexis de Tocqueville while notable inmates included Willie Sutton and Al Capone.
The Penitentiary was intended not simply to punish, but to move the criminal toward spiritual reflection and change. The method was a
Quaker-inspired system of isolation from other prisoners, with labor. The early system was strict. To prevent distraction, knowledge of the building, and even mild interaction with guards, inmates were hooded whenever they were outside their cells. Each cell even included a personal exercise yard. Proponents of the system believed strongly that the criminals, exposed, in silence, to thoughts of their behavior and the ugliness of their crimes, would become genuinely penitent. Thus the new word, penitentiary.
In 1924, Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot allegedly sentenced Pep "The Cat-Murdering Dog" to a life sentence at Eastern State. Pep allegedly murdered the governor’s wife’s cherished cat. Prison records reflect that Pep was assigned an inmate number (no. C2559), which is seen in his mug shot. However, the reason for Pep’s incarceration remains a subject of some debate. A newspaper article reported that the governor donated his own dog to the prison to increase inmate morale. www.easternstate.org
On April 3,
1945, a major prison escape was carried out by twelve inmates (including the infamous Willie Sutton) who dug a 97-foot tunnel under the prison wall to freedom.
The prison was closed and abandoned in 1971. Many prisoners and guards were transferred to State Correctional Institution - Graterford, about 31 miles west of Eastern State. The City of Philadelphia purchased the property with the intention of redeveloping it. In 1988, the Eastern State Penitentiary Task Force successfully petitioned Mayor
Wilson Goode to halt redevelopment. In 1994, Eastern State opened to the public for historic tours.
Present use
Today, the Eastern State Penitentiary operates as a museum and historic site, open from April 1 through November 30. In addition, it holds many special events throughout the year. Each July, Eastern State offers a
Bastille Day celebration, complete with a comedic reinterpretation of the storming of the Bastille and the tossing of thousands of Twinkies and Tastykakes from the towers.Dobrzynsky, Judith H., "For a Summer Getaway, A Model Prison" from the
New York Times, July 11, 2007. Available online In October, it offers a popular Terror Behind the Walls haunted house.
The facility has been kept in "arrested decay," meaning that no significant attempts have been made for renovations or upkeep. Guests are asked to sign a liability waiver due to some minor safety concerns.
Due to Eastern State's ominous appearance, gloomy atmosphere and long history, it is a popular location for television shows and movies about
hauntings. The Sci Fi Channel (United States)'s
Ghost Hunters and MTV's
Fear on MTV both explored the supernatural at Eastern State, while Terry Gilliam's film
Twelve Monkeys used it as the setting for a mental hospital. On 1 June 2007, the Travel Channel program,
Most Haunted Live, conducted and broadcasted a paranormal investigation live (for the first time in the United States) from Eastern State Penitentiary for an unprecedented seven continuous hours hoping to come in contact with supernatural beings. Punk group the Dead Milkmen also filmed the music video for their song "Punk Rock Girl" in Eastern State.
In 1996 and 2000, the
World Monuments Fund included Eastern State Penitentiary on its World Monuments Watch, its biennial list of the "Most Endangered" cultural heritage sites.
References
External links
- Official web site
- O.T.I.S.: Odd Things I've Seen
- Eastern State Penitentiary's Halloween event, Terror Behind the Walls
- Eastern State in 1846 by Hinton
- Eastern State in 1854 by Sears
- "For a Summer Getaway, a Model Prison" by Judith H. Dobrzynski, New York Times, July 11, 1997
The
Eastern State Penitentiary is a former state
prison in the United States. It is located on Fairmount Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets in the
Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 5 blocks north of the
Philadelphia Museum of Art.
History
Designed by
John Haviland and opened in 1829, Eastern State is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary. Its revolutionary system of incarceration, dubbed the
Pennsylvania System, originated and encouraged solitary confinement as a form of rehabilitation. It was opposed contemporaneously by the Auburn System (also known as the New York System), which held that prisoners should be forced to work together in silence, and could be subjected to physical punishment (Sing Sing Correctional Facility prison was an example of the Auburn system). Although the Auburn system was favored in the United States, Eastern State's radial floorplan and system of solitary confinement was the model for over 300 prisons worldwide.
Eastern State was viewed as a progressive reform in that it eliminated many of the excesses of physical punishment in colonial America. Despite this, it was widely believed (then and now) to have caused significant mental illness among its prisoners due to its solitary confinement. The system quickly collapsed due to overcrowding problems. By 1913, Eastern State officially abandoned the solitary system and operated as a congregate prison until it closed in 1970 (Eastern State was briefly used to house city inmates in 1971 after a riot at
Holmesburg Prison).
The prison was one of the largest public-works projects of the early republic, and was a tourist destination in the 19th century. Notable visitors included Charles Dickens and Alexis de Tocqueville while notable inmates included
Willie Sutton and
Al Capone.
The Penitentiary was intended not simply to punish, but to move the criminal toward spiritual reflection and change. The method was a
Quaker-inspired system of isolation from other prisoners, with labor. The early system was strict. To prevent distraction, knowledge of the building, and even mild interaction with guards, inmates were hooded whenever they were outside their cells. Each cell even included a personal exercise yard. Proponents of the system believed strongly that the criminals, exposed, in silence, to thoughts of their behavior and the ugliness of their crimes, would become genuinely penitent. Thus the new word, penitentiary.
In 1924, Pennsylvania Governor
Gifford Pinchot allegedly sentenced Pep "The Cat-Murdering Dog" to a life sentence at Eastern State. Pep allegedly murdered the governor’s wife’s cherished cat. Prison records reflect that Pep was assigned an inmate number (no. C2559), which is seen in his mug shot. However, the reason for Pep’s incarceration remains a subject of some debate. A newspaper article reported that the governor donated his own dog to the prison to increase inmate morale. www.easternstate.org
On
April 3,
1945, a major prison escape was carried out by twelve inmates (including the infamous Willie Sutton) who dug a 97-foot tunnel under the prison wall to freedom.
The prison was closed and abandoned in 1971. Many prisoners and guards were transferred to State Correctional Institution - Graterford, about 31 miles west of Eastern State. The City of Philadelphia purchased the property with the intention of redeveloping it. In 1988, the Eastern State Penitentiary Task Force successfully petitioned Mayor Wilson Goode to halt redevelopment. In 1994, Eastern State opened to the public for historic tours.
Present use
Today, the Eastern State Penitentiary operates as a museum and historic site, open from April 1 through November 30. In addition, it holds many special events throughout the year. Each July, Eastern State offers a Bastille Day celebration, complete with a comedic reinterpretation of the storming of the Bastille and the tossing of thousands of
Twinkies and
Tastykakes from the towers.Dobrzynsky, Judith H., "For a Summer Getaway, A Model Prison" from the
New York Times, July 11, 2007. Available online In October, it offers a popular Terror Behind the Walls haunted house.
The facility has been kept in "
arrested decay," meaning that no significant attempts have been made for renovations or upkeep. Guests are asked to sign a liability waiver due to some minor safety concerns.
Due to Eastern State's ominous appearance, gloomy atmosphere and long history, it is a popular location for television shows and movies about hauntings. The Sci Fi Channel (United States)'s
Ghost Hunters and MTV's
Fear on MTV both explored the supernatural at Eastern State, while Terry Gilliam's film
Twelve Monkeys used it as the setting for a mental hospital. On 1 June 2007, the Travel Channel program,
Most Haunted Live, conducted and broadcasted a paranormal investigation live (for the first time in the United States) from Eastern State Penitentiary for an unprecedented seven continuous hours hoping to come in contact with supernatural beings. Punk group the
Dead Milkmen also filmed the music video for their song "Punk Rock Girl" in Eastern State.
In 1996 and 2000, the
World Monuments Fund included Eastern State Penitentiary on its World Monuments Watch, its biennial list of the "Most Endangered" cultural heritage sites.
References
External links
- Official web site
- O.T.I.S.: Odd Things I've Seen
- Eastern State Penitentiary's Halloween event, Terror Behind the Walls
- Eastern State in 1846 by Hinton
- Eastern State in 1854 by Sears
- "For a Summer Getaway, a Model Prison" by Judith H. Dobrzynski, New York Times, July 11, 1997
