West Virginia Penitentiary, Moundsville, West Virginia

© wvpen/Instagram

This grand, Gothic-style former prison could almost pass for a castle or mansion, with its imposing exterior adorned with turrets and battlements. But the truth is far less glamorous. West Virginia Penitentiary opened in the 1860s and was intended to mirror the prison in Joliet, Illinois. Inmates were crammed into tiny cells that measured five by seven feet (1.5 by 2.1m) and sometimes occupied three prisoners each. More chillingly, inmate Paul Glenn was made to build the prison’s electric chair, dubbed ‘Old Sparky’.

America's abandoned prisons you can visit (msn.com)

West Virginia Penitentiary, Moundsville, West Virginia This grand, Gothic-style former prison could almost pass for a castle or mansion, with its imposing exterior adorned with turrets and battlements. But the truth is far less glamorous. West Virginia Penitentiary opened in the 1860s and was intended to mirror the prison in Joliet, Illinois. Inmates were crammed into tiny cells that measured five by seven feet (1.5 by 2.1m) and sometimes occupied three prisoners each. More chillingly, inmate Paul Glenn was made to build the prison’s electric chair, dubbed ‘Old Sparky’.