Ohio State Reformatory's West Cell Block to be restored

Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal
·4 min read
1

The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society is embarking on its next big restoration goal to fully restore the West Cell Block at the historic Ohio State Reformatory on Ohio 545 on the city's northeast side.

The West Cell Block at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is going to be restored at a cost of $1 million over the next three to five years. Individual and corporate sponsorships are available.
The West Cell Block at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is going to be restored at a cost of $1 million over the next three to five years. Individual and corporate sponsorships are available.

The East Cell Block is the world's largest freestanding steel block and will be left untouched, according to Ashleigh Ramey, program director at OSR.

West Cell Block: Did you know?

The West Cell Block at the Ohio State Reformatory is going to be restored. It stands 5-tiers high and is built from steel, brick and mortar. There are 320 cells in this space, according to OSR.
The West Cell Block at the Ohio State Reformatory is going to be restored. It stands 5-tiers high and is built from steel, brick and mortar. There are 320 cells in this space, according to OSR.

- The West Cell Block stands 5-tiers high and is built from steel, brick, and mortar. There are 320 cells in the space.

- It was the first cell block completed and the first 150 inmates that were brought to the Reformatory in 1896 moved into this cell block.

- Inmates used to refer to the West Cell Block as "the Hilton", while they referred to the East Cell Block as the "Motel 6." The comfort and quality of the two cell blocks differed significantly. The West Cell Block mainly housed trustee inmates and those serving life sentences.

- The West Cell Block has been used in multiple music videos and movies including Lil Wayne's "Go DJ," Godsmack's "Awake," Eric Church's "Some of It," and the recent Academy Award winning movie, "Judas and the Black Messiah," Ramey said.

According to a Facebook post Monday by the Ohio State Reformatory, the prison-turned-museum is embarking on a three-to-five year journey to restore the West Cell Block, installing windows, securing the area, fitting the space for HVAC, making structural repairs, replacing fixtures, and repainting the entire space.

The project will require around $1 million, according to OSR.

The Ohio State Reformatory is planning to restore the West Cell Block. Here is a photograph of the area when it was in good condition, provided by OSR.
The Ohio State Reformatory is planning to restore the West Cell Block. Here is a photograph of the area when it was in good condition, provided by OSR.

Individual sponsors will receive a plaque with their name in their chosen cell, an annual family plus membership, 8 free self-guided tour tickets to give to friends/guests, and recognition on a large donor board as you enter the cell block. Individual sponsorships available starting at $1,500.

Corporate sponsors receive a ton of great perks including sponsorship of a 1st tier (ground level) cell, annual family memberships for your employees, self-guided tour tickets for you to use as you see fit, a plaque with your name and company logo in your cell, tiered recognition on a large donor display at the entrance of the cell block, discounts of space rentals in the building, discounts on tickets for our annual gala, and one free private guided tour per year. Corporate sponsorships available starting at $10,000.

Made famous by 'Shawshank Redemption'

OSR, which brings thousands of tourists to the area each year, became famous when "The Shawshank Redemption," starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, was filmed at the prison in 1993. The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards but did not win any awards. Users of the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) rank "Shawshank" as the best ever made.

Thousands of fans of the movie, "The Shawshank Redemption," flocked to The Ohio State Reformatory in 2019 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the movie.
Thousands of fans of the movie, "The Shawshank Redemption," flocked to The Ohio State Reformatory in 2019 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the movie.

When the prison first opened in 1896, initially housing 150 young offenders, its presence was the result of a long campaign by local leaders. The castle-like structure, incorporating elements from Victorian Gothic, Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne architecture, housed a total of more than 155,000 men before it closed Dec. 31, 1990, replaced by a new prison, Mansfield Correctional Institution.

"Mansfield's Greatest Day," proclaimed the Richland Shield and Banner headline on Nov. 4, 1886, when the cornerstone was laid on the building that evolved into a magnificent Chateauesque structure.

Architect Levi Scofield designed the Ohio State Reformatory to encourage the inmates back to a "rebirth" of their spiritual lives.

In 1995, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society was formed. They continue to work to stabilize the prison-turned-museum to prevent its decay.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, OSR is the largest castle-like structure in Ohio and is one of the five largest in the United States. It houses the world's tallest free-standing steel cell block — six tiers and 12 ranges with 600 cells.

Backdrop for other Hollywood films

The photogenic prison has been the backdrop for portions of other Hollywood films, including "Harry and Walter Go to New York," in 1975, "Tango and Cash" in 1989, and "Air Force One" with Harrison Ford in 1996. Sylvester Stallone most recently starred in the film, "Escape Plan 3," at OSR.

This year the 30th anniversary celebration of "The Shawshank Redemption" will be held Aug. 9-11.

Ramey said OSR is also welcoming small, individual donors to participate in the West Cell Block restoration.

"We haven't publicly announced it yet, but if individuals wish to give in amounts as small as $5, they may do so at the following link," she said, https://app.donorview.com/vGkVw

For more information, contact Ramey at ashleigh@mrps.org or 419-522-2644 ext. 101.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Individual, corporate sponsorships needed to restore West Cell Block