Ohio State Reformatory

Ohio State Reformatory

September 2007

While operating with the NWPAH, our Investigators spent an entire night in The Ohio State Reformatory (OSR), a beautiful old prison in Mansfield, Ohio. This facility was built between 1886 and 1910. Although the architecture is often described as Germanic Castle Architecture, it is actually Romanesque Revival.

The OSR remained in full operation until 1972. Once the Southern Ohio
Correctional Facility was opened in 1990, the OSR facility was completely closed down. Part of the grounds and support buildings, including the outer
perimeter wall, has been demolished since its closing. In 1995, the "Mansfield
Reformatory Preservation Society" was formed and they have turned the prison
into a museum and conduct tours to help fund grounds rehabilitation projects.

The facility still holds the largest freestanding cellblock in the world at six tiers high.

From 1935 to 1959 Arthur Lewis Glattke was Superintendent of the OSR. He was well respected by professionals and inmates alike. Mr. Glattke implemented many prison reforms such as piped in radio music into the cellblocks.

Glattke’ s wife, Helen Bauer Glattke, died of pneumonia three days following an accident in November 1950 when a handgun discharged while she was reaching into a jewelry box in the family's quarters. Arthur Glattke died following a heart attack suffered in his office on February 10, 1959.

OSR is supposedly haunted with several paranormal "hotspots" such as the two
chapels, the area around the warden's office, the infirmary and solitary
confinement. Over 200 people died at the OSR, including a few guards who
were killed during escape attempts.

The night our Investigators spent at the Ohio State Reformatory expressed how very creepy it became when night fell and a total unsettling darkens enveloped them. It was so dark that they could not see their hand in front of their face.

The tour guides, provided by the prison, were extremely accommodating and informative. They allowed us to explore completely on our own as well as lead/follow them and they provided their excellent knowledge of facts concerning the operations of this historic facility.

There were a multitude of strange and spooky sounds that could be heard throughout the building some of which simply could not be identified in origin.

Many photographs were taken and hours of video by investigators with no
paranormal results. A few of our investigators were able to capture a couple
EVPs that sound interesting. The Keystone Paranormal Investigation Team looks forward to returning to OSR to conduct a ghost hunt in the near future.

Note: After viewing thumbnails below, use the Back button to return to this page.

EVP Ohio State Reformatory #1
This was recorded in the East cell block, tier # 3. We were walking the tier and started talking prison lingo in an attempt to invoke a reaction. It worked! "Count time, get up!" was ordered by one of the investigators. This is the response.

EVP Ohio State Reformatory #2
This EVP was captured in solitary confinement (the hole).

EVP Ohio State Reformatory #3
This was recorded after an investigator walked past one of the many dark empty cells and within only minutes after recording EVP #1.

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