Mansfield Reformatory
The Mansfield Reformatory, once part of the old Ohio State Reformatory, opened its doors to young men in 1896 to begin its long-lived operation as a reformatory and then high-security prison. The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society (MRPS) staff continues to exert many volunteer hours of their time in order to make the progress they have over the years in renovating the prison to one of its original state. The structure was built to resemble a gothic church-like atmosphere hoping to advance the reformation of the young prisoners, and was a stop between an all-boys detention center and the massive Ohio State Reformatory in Columbus.
The Mansfield Reformatory was used as scenes in movies such as The Shawshank Redemption, Air Force One and Tango and Cash. Rock and rap entertainers such as Godsmack and Lil’ Wayne filmed music videos at the Reformatory. The prison was also featured on shows such as the Family Channel’s Scariest Places on Earth and the Travel Channel’s 100 Creepiest Destinations. The East cell block is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records due to its ownership of the world’s largest free-standing steel cells, rising six tiers in height.
Over the past 12 years I have spent numerous nights investigating the Reformatory or volunteering during their Halloween haunted house tours. In the fall of 2007 I was ecstatic and completely flattered when Mr. Theodore Glattke, son of one of the most successful and popular supervisors (wardens) at the Mansfield Reformatory, invited me to attend a private and personal tour of the Reformatory with him and a couple members of the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society. I was in awe as I listened to Ted tell stories of his family life on the Reformatory grounds, and how civil, fun and exiting it was to live in such a “castle”. Some of the more delightful stories pertained to how Ted and his brother, Art Jr., would play games in certain areas of the living quarters which were pointed out to me by Ted as we walked through each room.
Personally, Ted does not agree nor does he believe that his parents are “condemned” to the Reformatory as stated in stories years ago. The “evidence” that some ghost hunters have allegedly obtained during their investigations are not proof of Arthur or Helen haunting the prison, as the documentation does not correlate to the Glattke parents. I ask that everyone please be considerate of Ted, Ted’s older brother and the rest of the Glattke Family and friends, and allow Arthur and Helen to “rest in peace” together.
After visiting with Ted at the Reformatory while he was on vacation in Ohio, I learned that his parents were in fact very family-oriented, friendly and were highly respected by all of the inmates in the prison. They were a loving family and the Reformatory was known as “The Farm” to the neighborhood kids who looked forward to playing in the Glattke household.
Though the Glattke Family brought a very positive light and environment to the Reformatory, it was still in a sense, a prison. Depression, anger and sadness were felt by the inmates for long periods of time. No executions were performed (*executions were conducted at the Ohio State Reformatory in Columbus, Ohio), but death did take place over the several decades of operation whether it be the result of suicide, fighting, sickness or brutality of some sort.
Please see the photos below that illustrate portions of our investigations at the Mansfield Reformatory. Descriptions with the photos are included, as well as an album of miscellaneous photos of the Reformatory and grounds. If you have any questions or would like more information on any of the photos that are published on this page, please contact me and I will reply to you at my earliest convenience.
***Click on thumbnails to enlarge.***
