Posts Tagged ‘Western State Penitentiary’
The big house
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After walking out from under a few bridges on Pittsburgh’s North Side, your humble narrator headed for the Ohio River while on a recent scuttle.
One of the many rail trails which I’ve been frequenting, this one follows the shoreline of the waterbody, but first you need to get to it. Large industrial sites, and the skeletal remains of a prison, stand in your way.
I’ve mentioned and described Western State Penitentiary before, in this 2024 post. It’s got a real ‘Gotham City’ vibe to it, and you half expect Killer Croc or the Riddler to be locked up within. Of course, there’s no one in there these days except for security guards and the asbestos remediation people. Dreams of avarice in the real estate world have placed a target on this property, whose footprint is enormous.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As is my habit, a quick heel spin was executed. Sometimes I’m just checking to see if anyone’s following me (which happens occasionally), but it’s mainly to see if there’s something I missed while looking in the opposite direction. The guard tower caught my eye.
Unfortunately, I didn’t notice a cool bit of architectural detail while in the field. If I did, I would have zoomed in right on it and got a proper shot.
Notice the parapet, with the fencing, and the iron thingies sticking out?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is a cropped version, which is at a terribly low resolution… but check out that attention to detail which was applied to something superficial on something as ugly as a prison.
Looks like part of a lighting setup, to me? Whatcha think?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Word has it that a deal has been struck with a real estate group to annihilate this entire ‘zone’ and replace it, with what would basically be a shopping mall that offers affordable housing, and a giant Ferris Wheel.
Wow. Where have I heard that one before? Staten Island, maybe?
One rounded the bend, stepped off of the street, and onto the rail trail.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Officially, I was walking on the Ohio River Water Trail.
Y’know, when I moved out here, I knew there were plenty of waterfont trails. It’s one of the things that sold me on Pittsburgh, to be honest. Saying that, I had no idea about how many of these rail trails actually exist. I’m still finding ones I didn’t even know about, and am training up for a walk to West Virginia next year. (No way I can do 30 miles on foot right now)
Awesome!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I love this guard tower, which looks like it wad cobbled together from odds and ends. In the midst of all the stolid masonry and thick walls of the prison, you’ve got this hodge podge lumber construction, which would probably be familiar to the Romans (except for the razor wire and chain link, of course).
Back tomorrow with more.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Pen in Western Pennsylvania
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the closed ‘State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh’ or ‘Western Penitentiary’ pictured above, aka ‘The Wall.’ Founded back in 1826, this counterpart of Philadelphia’s famously haunted ‘Eastern State’ was closed in 2017. A more modern ‘Big House’ called SCI Fayette now houses the Commonwealth’s incarcerated bad boys and girls.
An excellent work up on Western Penitentiary, with enormous attention to historic detail, is found at abandonedonline.net.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The trail I was walking on ends nearby the western side of the prison campus, so it made for a convenient turn around point for the scuttle.
My understanding is that infrequent opportunities to photograph the interior of the place do manifest in the form of tours, and a humble narrator intends on attending such an outing (or is it an ‘inning?) when I can. I’ve never been inside a jail, which doesn’t mean I’m a model citizen, rather it indicates that I’ve just never been caught while doing anything really bad.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
All of these shots were gathered through the stout iron fence surrounding the campus, while following my personal prohibition forbidding trespassing. There was a security guard sitting in a car in the place’s parking lot, but that’s not what dissuades one such as myself from trespass.
I’m like a Vampire, and need to be invited in to do my thing.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This was a particularly cold and ‘raw’ day. I was wearing longjohns under the normal black sackcloth ‘Mitch Suit,’ and the flapping black raincoat (aka my ‘Street Cassock’) was all I needed for the outer shell.
Another one of the adaptations I’ve had to make since moving to Pittsburgh has involved the purchase of an actual Winter Coat.
I chose one from the Carhartt brand, as it offered several voluminous pockets which zipper close and is of stout construction. Its downy insulation is only needed when it’s going to be freezing or below, I’d add, and it feels a bit like I’m wearing a down comforter when it’s on. Given how warm it is, it’s surprisingly light in terms of weight, which is a plus.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At my ‘turnaround point,’ and standing in the driveway of the abandoned state prison. I’ve read about several schemes hatched over the years to do something productive with the property. It belongs to the Commonwealth, as in the State, which is something that seems to annoy the municipality level politicians who want to build… ready for it… ‘affordable housing’ on the 21 acre footprint of the place.
It’s funny, but it seems to me, something like this joint should be turned into a museum that explores the history of the carceral state and law enforcement. Apparently the cost of maintenance and in particular heating and cooling the interior of the gargantuan structure is an untenable expense, however.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One began the scuttle back towards the spot which I had parked the Mobile Oppression Platform (my car) in, where this short walk had started from. It gets dark early here, and I wanted to be well on my way home before I had to activate the MOP’s headlamps. It’s about a ten mile drive from this spot back to HQ, if you’re curious.
Back tomorrow with a few odds and ends from this very gray day.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 