The West Virginia Penitentiary is a prison located in Moundsville, West Virginia, located in a magnificent, spooky gothic-style building. The prison operated from 1876 to 1995. The building is today open as a tourist attraction and training facility. The Penitentiary building has characteristic Gothic features such as castellated stone walls with turrets and battlements. The stone walls are five feet thick at the base, with five feet deep foundation. The first building constructed - the North Wagon Gate - was made with hand-cut sandstone from a local site. The state used prison labor for the construction. Besides the North Wagon Gate, there were north and south cellblock areas. South Hall had 224 cells and North Hall had a kitchen, dining area, hospital, and chapel. When it officially opened, the prison had 251 male inmates. Today there are tours for tourists and the Elizabethtown Festival is held on the prison grounds every May to remember historic Moundsville.
818 Jefferson Ave, Moundsville, WV 26041