History and mystery merge at former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville

Explore a Gothic-style fortress, prehistoric burial ground and more with a daycation trip to Moundsville, W.Va.

Sitting about 70 miles south of Pittsburgh, Moundsville is tucked along the Ohio River in Marshall County. First settled in 1771 by James and Samuel Tomlinson of England and originally known as Grave Creek, it was named for the more than 2,000-year-old Adena burial mound still in existence.

Moundsville is rich in coal mining history. Other industries that once thrived in the area include iron, tanneries, glassware, plastics and abrasives manufacturing.

Nowadays, tourism is the primary draw, with Moundsville being on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.

Notorious neighbors

Not everyone can say they live next to a famous former prison.

Joanne Ray has resided a stone’s throw from the West Virginia Penitentiary on Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville for 59 years.

“I’ve never been afraid to live here,” said Ray, relaxing during a sunny October afternoon on her front porch with the prison in the background. “The prisoners used to see out of the prison windows, and they’d holler at ya. But we complained, and the state put in block windows to make them opaque.”

Ray’s view of the former prison, which closed in 1995, provides a formidable, Gothic image for her street. The prison has evolved into a major tourism staple for the northern West Virginia panhandle.

The century-old brick medieval-style prison is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It opened in 1867 with 840 cells for men and 32 for women.

Female prisoners were transferred to a new women’s prison in 1947.

A variety of custom tours are offered to the public. The prison is operated by the Moundsville Economic Development Council.

The historical guided tour takes small groups of visitors to areas of the prison that include the cafeteria, cell blocks, recreation yard, art room and the wheel entrance. The tour allows for Q&A interaction with guides.

Ray’s late husband, Harold, fielded requests from some prisoners.

“The prisoners knew our names. One day when my husband was getting into the car they yelled, ‘Hey Harold, get me a beer,’ ” Ray recalled. “They could see everything going on. Oh my, yes they escaped. One night I heard a backfire noise and there was 14 prisoners escaped in front of the house. An off-duty cop was shot by the prisoners.”

Ray said authorities apprehended the escaped prisoners. On other occasions, she’s witnessed riots.

“It really just doesn’t bother me. I’ve lived in this town all my life. I sort of forget it’s there,” Ray said. “I’m glad it’s a tourist attraction now.”

In the lockup

Guided tours offered from April through November include historical, paranormal, escape room games and photography.

The popular 90-minute day tour provides a historical overview of the prison’s main level. During October, various Halloween-themed guided tours focus on the paranormal.

In the early 1900s, efforts were made to reform the prisoners. A library and school were constructed.

Revenue from the prison farm and other inmate labor resulted in the penitentiary operating almost self-sufficiently. By the late 1950s, the prison offered inmate labor in a number of prison areas: a stone yard, bakery, hospital and blacksmith, paint, wagon, tailor and carpentry shops.

Prison escapees were tracked with bloodhounds. Prison trackers and guards were killed trying to stop escapees in 1942 and 1979.

One infamous prisoner was Tennis Hatfield, serving time for murder. Hatfield walked away from the prison grounds on June 2, 1967, and was caught and returned to confinement nine days later.

In 1979, 14 prisoners escaped from the front gate, the same incident that Ray mentioned above, and the New Year’s Day riot in 1986 resulted in 200 inmates taking 16 hostages for a two-day period, with three inmates killed by fellow prison rioters.

Famous former Moundsville prisoners include Charles Manson’s “family” members and a member from Bonnie and Clyde’s gang.

Heather and Tim Gordon of Prescott, Ariz., said visiting the prison was a “bucket list” item for them. They explored the grounds after their tour.

“I’m obsessed with the paranormal,” said Heather Gordon. “We came here for the ghosts.”

The Gordons took a 90-minute tour and said they were impressed by the amount of history included.

“It was really cool. I didn’t realize how much artwork was in there — made by the prisoners. That was surprising,” Heather Gordon said.

Tim Gordon said they heard an unexplained loud bang during their tour.

“The prisoners sometimes lived three to a cell, and some of the cells are so small,” Tim said. “Part of the reason we wanted to come is the Gothic architecture — out in Prescott, it’s Western.”

The prison’s fate was sealed in 1986 when the West Virginia State Supreme Court ruled that confinement to a 5-by-7-foot cell was considered cruel and unusual punishment.

The penitentiary closed nine years later, after the prisoner population swelled to more than double the expected occupancy of 1,000.

The tour includes an up-close look at “Old Sparky,” the decommissioned electric chair that was used in nine executions at the prison until 1959. According to prison records, 94 men were executed during the operation of the prison, 85 by hanging and nine by electrocution.

Moundsville native and penitentiary employee Wes Hudson said the impact of tourism on the small town is significant.

“It’s fun, busy, and with the haunt tours it’s different,” Hudson said. “People like the paranormal aspect of it. And sometimes people want to visit because they had a family member that was once here. It’s the history and people are fascinated.”

Amanda Wolverton grew up when the prison was fully operational. Now she manages the entire complex.

“The noise, the sound, it was loud. I found out later the inmates from the infirmary and the psych ward would holler out to the locals,” Wolverton said. “Windows would get busted. We pretty much just ignored it. The tourism for this in our town — it amazes me from how people come here from all over.”

Last year more than 25,000 visitors stepped through the prison grounds, still owned by the state of West Virginia.

“My favorite area is the psych ward. That is my favorite paranormal section,” Wolverton said. “The main thing here is we have a tour for everyone of all ages.”

Beth Thacker roams the same areas of the prison where her relatives once worked.

“I remember when it closed. We toured it for free. I remember as a kid watching the news when the prisoners escaped. My mom said she would give them a loaf of bread,” Thacker said.

Thacker’s relatives who worked at the prison included her grandfather and uncle, who was a guard during the 1986 New Year’s Day riot. That was the largest prison riot in the U.S., with more than 1,000 prisoners involved.

“He left to be a truck driver after the riot,” Thacker said. “This is the best job I ever had, working here. This is the place to visit. We had people from 49 states this year and other countries.”

Thacker said visitors frequently ask questions about the reported paranormal activity.

The prison recreation room, dubbed the “Sugar Shack,” was notorious for inmates gathering for illegal activities such as fighting and gambling. It was also the scene of murder and rape.

One such often-circulated paranormal story involves a figure nicknamed Shadow Man, who has been spotted and photographed by staff, visitors and professional paranormal investigators.

Described as tall and dark, and often seen in the hallway, the Shadow Man is believed to be the spirit of an inmate who died in his cell.

“So many died here,” Thacker said, citing estimates of about 1,000. “West Virginia was bad about record keeping back then, so the exact total isn’t known.”

Tours continue through November. For more information, visit wvpentours.com