Mission
The mission of the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation
Society is to preserve the former Ohio State Reformatory as a national tourist
attraction.
History
The Ohio State Reformatory is significant to the history and architecture
of
Richland County. Formation of the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society
occurred soon after the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections
vacated the prison and announced a schedule for demolition. Included in the
Society are members of the Historic Preservation Commission of Mansfield,
members of Richland County preservation groups, and interested citizens. The
Society has subsequently incorporated in October of 1994 and obtained a long
term lease through the City of Mansfield and the State of Ohio. The
preservation group also started cleaning up the building and grounds and began
raising funds for building stabilization.
Construction of the Ohio State Reformatory began with the laying of the
cornerstone in 1886. Designed by Cleveland architect Levi T. Scofield, the
structure matches the description in McAlester's, A Field Guide To American
Houses, for the Chateauesque style. This style contains an eclectic blend of
Victorian Gothic, Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne Styles. The
architect intentionally meant the structure to be spiritual and uplifting to
provide a transcendent religious experience to reform the behavior of the
young male prisoners. The location of the reformatory is on 20 acres of
scenic terrain. The grounds include a large pond and several ample parking
areas.
Current Programs, Activities and Accomplishments
Initial uses of the building include a museum and tour facility that
attracts
an international patronage. During the 1998 season of operation, Sunday
afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., May through October, 8,000 paid
admissions toured the building. Furthermore, the tours and special events
attracted visitors from 50 states and dozens of foreign countries making a
total paid attendance of 22,000 for 1998. The Halloween Haunted Prison opened
for 5 weekends in October and drew a crowd of over 13,000 paying customers
many of whom traveled to Mansfield from within a 100 mile radius. The
successful MRPS gift shop sold over $21,000 of merchandise in 1998.
The Reformatory’s scenic grounds and architecture serve the community in a
number of ways. The 1998 United Way kick off meeting and the Heart
Association fund raiser took place at OSR. Columbia Gas and Copperweld
visited OSR and held dinner meetings that included a building tour. The MRPS
conducted special tours for Massilon-Jackson and Clear Fork High Schools.
Additionally, we conducted tours for other church, civic and student groups.
This year we saw an increase in the number of motor coach tours coming to OSR.
Beginning with the September 1995 official occupancy of the building, the
primary goal of the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society is to
accomplish the physical stabilization of the building. Many thanks to our
dedicated corps of volunteers, financial donors, and the local business
community who all put forth much time, effort and money in 1998 and in prior
years. From 1995 through 1998 volunteers of the MRPS donated over 12,000
hours of service to the efforts of planning, cleanup and other related
activities pertaining to the Reformatory.
The MRPS accomplished the following construction projects during 1998:
· Outside facing stone replaced on the north elevation
· Replacement of broken interior down spouts and repair of roof gutters
· Work is underway for a small amphitheater at the rear of the building
· Preparations began for restoration of the Warden’s dining room and parlor
· Cell block stair treads replaced for tourist safety
· Persisted with trash & debris removal from cell block areas
· On-going painting of individual cells and warden’s stair case
· New hard-paved parking lot completed in cooperation with Richland
Correctional Institute
(The lot is available to MRPS for special events)
· Security improvements including new latches welded to all exterior doors
· Pigeon roost in old infirmary is cleaned of years of droppings by
environmental firm
· 5,000 square feet of roof replaced over the central guard room and central
prison area
· Continued stabilization of exterior stone veneer
· Repair stain glass windows as part of an on-going project
· Planted and maintained large flower beds fronting the building and on the
boulevard island
· Install additional exit and emergency lighting along tour route
· Re-establish electricity in parts of the diagonal wing and Warden’s
residence
The MRPS activities afford a hands-on
civic involvement project for Mansfield
Correctional Institute inmates using prison labor for mowing, clean-up and
landscaping of the grounds.