 Moundsville, West Virginia Not long ago, one of the viewers of my pictures suggested that I ought to take a trip to prison. The story was pretty intriguing: an old penitentiary that had quite a reputation during its operation but was now open for tours. In the area that I live, before cable-tv, all the television newscasts came from West Virginia even if you live in Ohio or Kentucky. Most of us have memories of hearing news stories about troubles and riots at this place, all played out on the black and white set in our living rooms. So to have the chance to tour it and take pictures was too much to bypass. Planning and construction on the prison began shortly after West Virginia became a state during the Civil War. It's gothic style of architecture, very foreboding and bold (for lack of other words). Everything about it shouts PRISON. It's safe to say that this was one of the most interesting short trips that I've ever taken. Moundsville is about a 4 hour drive from my home, but it shares something in common: it's also an Ohio River town. Over the next week or so, I'll share some of the scenes that I found interesting along the way. Many thanks to Jessica for the photo suggestion and thanks to Mark Pennington for going along and (again) doing the driving. Comment (3) | Permalink |
4x6photo.com | West Virginia Penitentiary | 04 September, 2005
