Frances H. Casstevens' "Out of the Mouth of Hell: Civil War Prisons and Escapes"

Ohio State Penitentiary

Nickname: Castle Merion
Established: 1863
Types of Prisoners: non-military criminals, political prisoners, and some of John Hunt Morgan's Confederate cavalry officers

Site:
Construction began in 1830 and it opened as a prison in 1834. It was a three-story building with an exterior made of "hammered limestone." By the 1860's, the Ohio Penitentiary was considered "seriously overcrowded and antiquated."

Cells:
Each cell was 3.5 feet wide, 7 feet long, and 7 feet high. The back wall of each cell had a 3-4 inch air hole. The cells were arranged in tiers called "ranges" and each opened onto balconies that were 3 feet wide. The walls were made of brick and and the doors were a latticework of 2 inch iron bars that opened outward. The cell block was 100 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 40 feet high. The exterior limestone walls were 11 feet away from the cell block. There were 5 levels of cells, with 35 cells on each level. A massive, 4 feet thick and 25 feet high wall surrounded the entire prison. Turrets were located upon it for the guards to view the prison grounds.

Reference
Casstevens, Frances H. "Ohio State Penitentiary." Out of the Mouth of Hell. Jefferson: McFarland and Company, 2005. 137-52. Print.