Buildings of State prison in Moundsville West Virginia date from the end of the 19th century. In the early 1900’s prison became self-sufficient collecting funds from the inmates labor in many workshops located within the prison walls. The conditions here worsened over the years, as West Virginia State Penitentiary became overcrowded. It became one of the most violent correctional facilities in the USA because of frequent fighting, raping, riots, and homicides. The prison was closed in 1995.
Before state of West Virginia abolished the capital punishment in 1965, nearly 100 man were executed in the State Penitentiary, nine of them on an electric chair. The chair used here is called the “Old Sparky,” and was built by one of the inmates; the original electric chair is on display today.
