Ghost stories

West Virginia State Penitentiary

Description: West Virginia Penitentiary has been described as being an "imposing stone structure fashioned in the castellated Gothic architectural style (adorned with turrets and battlements, like a castle)." Though modeled after Joliet Prison, West Virginia Penitentiary would be "approximately one-half the size of Joliet."

The walls surrounding the prison were 24 feet high and 6 feet wide at the bottom, tapering to 18 inches at the top. Buildings constructed in this first phase found within the walls included North Wagon Gate, North and South Cell Blocks, an Administration Building and the Warden's House. Cells were 5 x 7 feet, which encouraged inmates to participate in work areas of the prison.

In 1866, the idea of building a prison here became a reality when the state legislature authorized funds to buy land in Moundsville for this institution because Moundsville was near the then state capitol city of Wheeling.

The first building to be finished was the North Wagon Gate building and was built by 150 inmates, using hand-cut sandstone from a near by quarry, and then became the housing unit for these 150 inmates. The first phase of West Virginia Penitentiary was finished in 1876, opening for business.

Inside the prison, the inmates were involved in areas of work needed to run the prison: Blacksmith, Wagon Shop, Carpentry Shop, Brickyard, Stone Yard, Paint Shop, Tailor, Bakery and Hospital. A prison farm was also started to grow food for the inmates, and a prison coal mine was opened in 1921. The prison was now not only self-sufficient, but saved the state $14,000 per year in fuel costs.

In 1929, phase two of a building program to double the size of the prison began, which wasn't completed until 1959, due to the shortage of steel during WW2. These new cell blocks eventually eased the horrible overcrowding; which caused triple bunking in the prison's 5 x 7 foot cells.

West Virginia Penitentiary Executions: Began in 1899. Eighty-five men were hung in the prison gallows: 1899-1949. Nine men were electrocuted from 1951-1959. In 1959, the death penalty was thrown out.

The West Virginia Penitentiary reached its peak in population during the 1960s, becoming home to 2000 inmates. The last 35 years of the prison, from 1960 - 1995, had many disturbances including riots and escapes. In 1986, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the 5 X 7 cells at West Virginia Penitentiary were cruel and unusual punishment which was the beginning of the end for this facility. By 1995, The inmate population was around 700 before the prison closed for good. New facilities had been completed to house inmates serving time for the state of West Virginia.

The prison is said to be haunted because in the years that the prison remained open, many deaths took place after riots broke out. Inamtes killed other inmates often. The lost souls are still said to wander the hall.