 |
 |
||||||||
 |
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
After the last prisoners left Eastern State Penitentiary in 1971, the prison stood for over twenty years with absolutely no maintenance. By the time our tour program began in 1994, the buildings were in a terrible state of deterioration.
The deterioration was so severe that the Penitentiary was labeled a semi-ruin. As a results, Eastern State was named annually to the National Park Services' list of Endangered Landmarks before Congress, and listed on the 100 Most Endangered Sites List of 1996 and List of 2000 by the World Monuments Watch. Eastern State was one of only five sites in the United States on the WMW 2000 List. Because of stabilization efforts, the site was removed from this list in 2002.
People always ask if we plan to restore the whole prison. We do not. For one thing, it is cost prohibitive. More importantly, we and our visitors like the decay.
Instead, our goal is a stabilized ruin, to stop the deterioration and to make the tour route safe for our visitors. We also plan to restore some places, places that help visitors better understand how the building was designed and how it changed over time. To date, we have raised more than $3,000,000. Most of the restoration projects are related to critical roofing; however, and are invisible from the visitor’s point of view. While we have made significant progress, we still need your help! You can help save this National Historic Landmark. Visit our Membership page to find out how.
|
|
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.
