I recently had the chance to visit the Ohio State Reformatory. Opened on September 15, 1896, this romanesque style building was intended as a halfway point between the Boys Industrial School in Lancaster and the State Penitentiary in Columbus which was intended to house young first-time offenders. Over the years, the institution evolved to meet the changing needs of the penitentiary systems. The Reformatory remained in full operation until December 1990 when it was closed via federal court order. It is currently being restored, and used as a museum by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society.

It is famously known as the location of the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption.