Eastern State Penitentiary
Built 1829 by John Haviland. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 21st St. and Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia, PA |
| County | Philadelphia County |
| Listed | Oct 15, 1966 |
| Listed for | Social history |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 66000680 |
| Built | 1829 · more from the 1820s |
| Architect | John Haviland |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 21st St. and Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia, PA |
| Coordinates | 39.9683° N, 75.1725° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Philadelphia | 632 listed places in Philadelphia → · walking tours → |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Philadelphia County
.jpg/960px-Kemble_Bergdol_2201_Green_St_(cropped).jpg)
Local history books for Philadelphia
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Guidebooks to historic places in Pennsylvania
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Eastern State Penitentiary listed on the National Register?
Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Eastern State Penitentiary built?
1829, designed by John Haviland, in the Gothic Revival style.
Source: Wikidata
Where is Eastern State Penitentiary?
21st St. and Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
Source: National Park Service
Where is the nomination form for Eastern State Penitentiary?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Sources
Name, location, type and dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet of listed properties, because the Park Service's spatial data does not carry this listing. The map point comes from Wikidata. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000680. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place.