Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

A Happy Medium

Home
New Visions
Forever Imprisoned – Haunted Mansfield Reformatory

Forever Imprisoned – Haunted Mansfield Reformatory

Last updated on: August 20, 2013 at 4:34 pm by Kristy Robinett

Forever Imprisoned – Haunted Mansfield Reformatory 2013-08-20T16:34:10-06:00 Kristy Robinett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Seen on shows such as Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters Academy, and My Ghost Story, the Ohio State Reformatory (or Mansfield Reformatory) in Mansfield, Ohio has been noted as one of the top haunted locations in the world. Utilized for many movie and music videos, most notoriously for the movie Shawshank Redemption, and on Sunday, August 18th twenty-nine of us investigated the historical location.

The Ohio State Reformatory was built by Freemasons in 1886 and was designed to rehabilitate first-time offenders. The architecture was (and still is) spectacular, originally modeled to resemble a castle and so it was thought that this would be a positive step for prison reform. Unfortunately, conditions rapidly deteriorated and this prison was left with a haunting legacy of abuse, inhumane torture, many murders and secrets that are still contained with the walls. Civil Rights activists lobbied successfully to shut the prison down in 1990 as the prisoners resided with rats, bugs, bats, moldy and decaying food and disease. Violence was just an everyday occurrence, as was bloodshed. 5 years later, in 1995, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society opened the prison for ghost tours.

Considered to have the largest free-standing steel cell block in the world, the prison’s 6 levels is massive and even while being built it began with deaths with workmen falling off scaffolding. Also used as a tuberculous overflow area, sick civilians were purposefully (?) housed in the hospital near the prisoners with the hopes of thinning the over crowded population.

Many of the shows note hot spots for paranormal activity, including the Warden’s quarters where the Warden’s wife was shot when she apparently reached for something in her closet. It is said that you can smell her perfume, the Hole, solitary confinement, and the Infirmary. But there are other areas, miles and miles, to explore. And as I always say, ghosts don’t necessarily have to be stuck to one area – they can move around.
On Sunday, August 18th we went in search of what lurked within the stone walls of Mansfield Reformatory. In the dark.

The Investigation began at 8 PM and would last until 5 AM where we had free reign of 95% of the building. Hallways, tunnels and hundreds and hundreds of stairs was confusing and exciting as with every turn and every floor, we explored the tired building. Her floors dusty, fireplaces broken, windows cracked and home to many animals, living and dead. But no matter, Mansfield showed off her glory and shined even through the grime.

I see ghosts. And spirits. But when I do investigations I don’t want to be the center of attraction, I want participants to experience what they experience without me pointing and narrating. I do share. And I do get scared, which to some may seem odd, but I have not lost the human innocence of abnormality seeing, hearing, feeling and communicating with what most can’t and what most don’t want to.

And Mansfield didn’t disappoint. I was grabbed, touched, growled at, and cried and spoken to. My biggest issue, though, wasn’t the paranormal kind. It was bats.

We had a group of about ten going into a room down a long and narrow corridor when I heard the warning sign and yelled ‘Bats…move – go, go, go”. The group, confused and only hearing ‘go, go, go’, began to slowly walk back towards the entrance when I demanded they turn off their flashlights and go faster. It wasn’t until the screeching and the wing flapping over our heads when they realized that it wasn’t a ghost, or anything demonic, but living (I think) bats. Chuck was at the end of the corridor walking away from us when I yelled out ‘bat’ and he turned around and was smacked in the face with the fuzzy black being. I am not sure I have laughed that hard in a long time. The night continued with bats pestering me (karma?). So between one of the participants making bat noises to drive me, well, batty, and flapping his baseball hat to make bat noises in my ear (remember – we are in the dark), and the real bats dive bombing me, I hit the deck a few times and banged up my knee. My screams were becoming too frequent, so I kept my hand over my mouth and my eyes closed as I walked through one of the cells as everybody looked and laughed on, but I didn’t want to keep them from the real reason we were there – the experience.

Cameras malfunctioned, video cameras came on by themselves or wouldn’t turn on, paranormal equipment refused to work and as we tried to make heads or tales of it all, the 95% full moon cascaded light within windows, that was until the orange fog blanketed the prison – and only the prison. Watching it inch in from the Warden’s home and blocking the moon from the only light we had other than our flashlights (which was one reason why were having bat issues – LED lights confuse the creatures senses). At one point I felt like sitting down and sobbing, and that sad energy has continued with me two days later. In fact, yesterday I just sobbed. And sobbed. And then slept.

Many of the prisoners were petty thieves, but there were hardcore prisoners too. And thousands of death, many of which still haven’t crossed over, making this a favorite location for ghost hunters. At one point, we had communication with a man named William and another named Russ. Russ said he was in his 70’s and he was ready to be with his family. So several us sat in the then hospital and crossed him and William over because I don’t feel that it is fair for them to be imprisoned forever. And heck, there were many others and the ghost hunters won’t miss two of them. We had a dog (that looked like a Spaniel or small Shepherd) who ran around the Warden’s hallway and we did in fact smell rose perfume, and just as soon as we smelled it, it was gone.

I could barely sleep when we returned to the hotel at 5 AM – thinking that maybe my mission at the prison wasn’t completed and wondering when I could return to possibly find keys which could unlock more lost souls and assist them in finding final freedom.

Believe,

Kristy

Mansfield Reformatory

Mansfiled

My Ghost Story

Ohio State Reformatory

spirits

Previous Post

August 12, 2013

Repeating Sequence Numbers

Next Post

August 25, 2013 Breathe In and Breathe Out

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Client Stories Full Moons motivational New Moon Oracle Paranormal Podcasts Spirit Visits Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2024 June 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 December 2022 June 2022 April 2022 March 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 September 2021 July 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the Christian teaching about showing hospitality?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Close your door Avoid people Welcome strangers Host only friends