Tennessee State Penitentiary

Located along the Cumberland River at Cockrill Bend, the Tennessee State Penitentiary operated here from 1898 to 1992. Nicknamed "the Castle," the fortress-like complex was designed by Chattanooga architect Samuel Patton, with a central administration building flanked by five-story cell block wings segregated by race and gender. The maximum security prison was closed by a federal court decision due to perpetual overcrowding and poor conditions. Continued Located behind 20-foot stone walls, the self-supporting campus included a hospital, chapel, industrial shops, cafeteria, gym, and a death house where 125 prisoners were executed from 1916 to 1960. The prison is associated with popular culture through film and music as a result of having produced an inmate band The Prisonaires, having hosted concerts by Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Linda Ronstadt, and Eddy Arnold, and having served as the setting for films such as The Last Castle and The Green Mile.