The History of MRPS -

    The History of MRPS

    June 19, 2017 1205 comments

    The History of MRPS...

    by Nancy K. Darby

    In 1990, the Ohio State Reformatory was planned for demolition.  The outbuildings and wall were to be taken down, but the cell blocks and the administrative building would remain to stand because of the high cost of their destruction.  A lack of funding serves as interesting bookends to the OSR's history: insufficient money slowed construction, and the same problem prevented the facility's complete demolition.  The Mansfield community saw an opportunity in the suspended demolition.  The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society (MRPS) was formed in 1995 as a grassroots effort to save and preserve the Ohio State Reformatory.  By the time of its formation, the wall and outbuildings had been demolished.  Because of the deteriorating condition of the building, the daunting task was at first met with skepticism.  

    Over the next eight years, the state vacillated about plans for the building.  Finally, in 2000, the State of Ohio gave the building to the City of Mansfield, which in turn sold it to MRPS for $1.  This is when MRPS' work began in earnest.  The goal of the society is to restore and preserve the building and its relics.  In 2014, the reformatory was designated as the official museum for the Ohio Corrections Department and is currently preparing rooms to display items from throughout Ohio's corrections facility, including the original electric chair.

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    The Ohio State Reformatory
    100 Reformatory Rd, Mansfield, OH 44905
    Phone: (419) 522-2644 • Email: info@mrps.org

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    Copyright © 2022 The Ohio State Reformatory Preservation Society. All rights reserved.

    The Ohio State Reformatory is currently open Thursday-Sunday, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm*

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     *Except major holidays, like Thanksgiving, and some blackout dates.  Please see calendar. 

    The Ohio State Reformatory offers only abbreviated tours from September 6th-November 15th due to the Blood Prison Haunted House setup. During this time, there will be no access to solitary confinement, the lower levels of the cell blocks, or the showers. The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum is closed as well. If you want to see these locations, please plan your visit for either before September 6th or after November 15th. All guided tours will still be 90 minutes long and will become a combination of Hollywood Meets History and Beyond the Bars locations. 

    If you are looking for information about the Blood Prison Haunted House, please visit bloodprison.com for pricing, times, and ticketing information