Rising above Fairmount Avenue, Eastern State Penitentiary stands as a paragon of solitude and abandoned hope. Its crumbling walls and rotting cells hold the ghosts of the early penitentiary movement in America, when it was decided by a group of prominent Philadelphians reform was necessary in overcrowded, ineffective prisons. The Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons, which included Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Benjamin Rush, believed in the efficacy of solitude and hard labor in reforming criminals. In 1821, after years of lobbying by the society, Pennsylvania approved funding for Eastern State. The penitentiary, designed by John Haviland, opened in 1829 with a capacity of 250 inmates. The hulking mass of a building -- with its castle-like walls and parapets -- was meant to inspire fear and penitence for all those who passed through its main gate. It still has that effect today.

Before Eastern State closed in 1970, it underwent countless structural changes and housed a slew of notorious criminals including Al Capone and "Slick Willie" Sutton. After it ceased functioning as a penitentiary, Eastern State was left to decompose. Efforts and funds raised over the last two decades have stabilized the ruin, and it remains one of the most fascinating historic attractions in a city rife with landmarks.

I first visited Eastern State in the late 1990s, and like any good male in his early 20s, I was completely enamored with its twisted history. As my interest in photography grew, I began to realize just how beautiful a place filled with echoes of human misery could be. The colors, shapes, and textures delivered by time and Mother Nature have left distinct imprints on Eastern State, making it one of the most photogenic 11 acres of property in America. I find it interesting that in a section of the city where housing values are skyrocketing, a shell of a terrifying prison remains the single most attractive building in the neighborhood.

I revisited Eastern State in April and May of 2006. Camera in hand and tethered to the audio guide led by Steve Buscemi, I wandered the eerily chilly halls and found that terror and aesthetic pleasure can very easily go hand in hand. It's damn near impossible to take a bad photo at Eastern State.

–Dominic Mercier

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