Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge (Czech: Karlův most [ˈkarluːf ˈmost]) is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava River in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV and finished in the early 15th century. The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge built 1158–1172 which had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. This new bridge was originally called Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or Prague Bridge (Pražský most) but has been referred to as "Charles Bridge" since 1870.

As the only means of crossing the river Vltava until 1841, Charles Bridge was the most important connection between Prague Castle and the city's Old Town and adjacent areas. This land connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe.

The bridge is 516 metres (1,693 ft) long and nearly 10 metres (33 ft) wide. Following the example of the Stone Bridge in Regensburg, it was built as a bow bridge with 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers, two on the Lesser Quarter side (including the Malá Strana Bridge Tower) and one on the Old Town side, the Old Town Bridge Tower. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700, but now all have been replaced by replicas.

The bridge is currently undergoing a twenty-year process of structural inspections, restoration, and repairs. The process started in late 2019 and is expected to cost 45–60 million CZK (US$1.9–2.6 million).

History

14th to 19th centuries

Throughout its history, Charles Bridge has suffered several disasters and witnessed many historic events. Czech legend has it that construction began on Charles Bridge at 5:31 am on 9 July 1357 with the first stone being laid by Charles IV himself. This exact time was very important to the Holy Roman Emperor because he was a strong believer in numerology and felt that this specific time, which formed a palindrome (1357 9/7 5:31), was a numerical bridge, and would imbue Charles Bridge with additional strength. The bridge was completed 45 years later in 1402. A flood in 1432 damaged three pillars. In 1496 the third arch (counting from the Old Town side) broke down after one of the pillars lowered, being undermined by the water (repairs were finished in 1503). A year after the Battle of White Mountain, when the 27 leaders of the anti-Habsburg revolt were executed on 21 June 1621, the Old Town Bridge Tower served as a deterrent display of the severed heads of the victims to stop Czechs from further resistance. During the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648, the Swedes occupied the west bank of the Vltava, and as they tried to advance into the Old Town the heaviest fighting took place right on the bridge. During the fighting, they severely damaged one side of the Old Town bridge tower (the side facing the river) and the remnants of almost all Gothic decorations had to be removed from it afterward. During the late 17th century and early 18th century, the bridge gained its typical appearance when an alley of baroque statues was installed on the pillars. During a great flood in 1784, five pillars were severely damaged and, although the arches did not break down, the traffic on the bridge had to be greatly restricted for some time.

The original stairway to Kampa Island was replaced by a new one in 1844. The next year, another great flood threatened the bridge, but the bridge escaped major damage. In 1848, during the revolutionary days, the bridge escaped unharmed from the cannonade, but some of the statues were damaged. In 1866, pseudo-gothic gas lights were erected on the balustrade; they were later replaced with electric lighting. In the 1870s, the first regular public transport (omnibus) line went over the bridge (officially called "Charles Bridge" after 1870) later replaced by a horse tram. The bridge towers underwent a thorough reconstruction between 1874 and 1883.

On 2–5 September 1890, another disastrous flood struck Prague and severely damaged Charles Bridge. Thousands of rafts, logs, and other floating materials that escaped from places upstream gradually formed a huge barrier leaning against the bridge. Three arches were torn down by the great pressure and two pillars collapsed from being undermined by the water, while others were partly damaged. With the fifth pillar, two statues – St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Xavier, both by Ferdinand Brokoff – also fell into the river. The former statue was replaced by the statuary of Saints Cyril and Methodius by Karel Dvořák; the latter was replaced by a replica of the original. Repair works lasted for two years (the bridge was reopened on 19 November 1892) and cost 665,000 crowns.

20th century to present

At the beginning of the 20th century, Charles Bridge saw a steep rise in heavy traffic. The last day of the horse line on the bridge was 15 May 1905, when it was replaced with an electric tram and later, in 1908, with buses. At the end of World War II, a barricade was built in the Old Town bridge tower gateway. A capital repair of the bridge took place between 1965 and 1978, based on collaboration among various scientific and cultural institutes. The stability of the pillars was ensured, all broken stone blocks were replaced, and the asphalt top was removed. All vehicular traffic has been excluded from Charles Bridge since then, making it accessible by pedestrians only. The repair cost 50 million crowns.

During the 1990s, some people started criticizing the previous reconstruction of the bridge and proposing further work. As of the beginning of the new millennium, most of the experts appeared to agree that the previous reconstruction had not been flawless but disputed the need for further interference with the bridge. However, after the disastrous floods of 2002 (which themselves caused only minor harm to the bridge), support for an overall bridge reconstruction grew. It was decided that the repair and stabilization of the two pillars (numbers 8 and 9) on the Malá Strana side of the bridge would be done. These are the only river pillars that were not repaired after the 1890 floods. The reconstruction was a gradual process that closed off parts of the bridge without closing the span entirely.

Performed from 2008 to 2010, the work included bolstering the pillars and building a new hydroisolation system protecting the bridge. It also encompassed a re-pavimentation of the bridge's pavement and the replacement of many of the stones in the bridge walls, a matter which was controversial due to a heavy-handed approach adopted by the restoration team, which had no previous experience in the restoration of cultural heritage monuments. The result has been criticized by conservation professionals all over Europe, as dozens of new replacement stones do not match the historical ones they are next to, the amount of replaced stones is considered excessive, some stones have been inappropriately positioned, original stones have been chipped and joining materials employed are considered not appropriate for the structure. In 2010 UNESCO's World Heritage Committee adopted a decision stating that "the restoration of Charles Bridge was carried out without adequate conservation advice on materials and techniques".

Statues on the bridge

The avenue of 30 mostly Baroque statues and statuaries situated on the balustrade forms a unique connection of artistic styles with the underlying Gothic bridge. Most sculptures were erected between 1683 and 1714. They depict various saints and patron saints venerated at that time. The most prominent Bohemian sculptors of the time took part in decorating the bridge, such as Matthias Braun, Jan Brokoff, and his sons Michael Joseph and Ferdinand Maxmilian.

Among the most notable sculptures, one can find the statuaries of St. Luthgard, the Holy Crucifix, and Calvary, and John of Nepomuk. Well-known also is the statue of the knight Bruncvík, although it was erected some 200 years later and does not belong to the main avenue.

Beginning in 1965, all of the statues have been systematically replaced by replicas, and the originals have been exhibited in the Lapidarium of the National Museum.

Tribute

On 9 July 2017, Google celebrated the 660th anniversary of Charles Bridge with a Google Doodle.

Aradale Mental Hospital

 

Aradale Mental Hospital was an Australian psychiatric hospital, located in Ararat, a rural city in south-west Victoria, Australia. Originally known as Ararat Lunatic Asylum, Aradale and its two sister asylums at Kew and Beechworth were commissioned to accommodate the growing number of 'lunatics' in the colony of Victoria. Construction began in 1864, and the guardhouses are listed as being built in 1866 though the list of patients extends as far back as the year before (1865). It was closed as an asylum in 1998 and in 2001 became a campus of the Melbourne Polytechnic (Previously known as NMIT) administered Melbourne Polytechnic's Ararat Training Center.

Construction

The asylum was designed by G. W. Vivian and John James Clark (at this time Vivian's assistant), adapting Vivian's initial designs for similar buildings in Kew and Beechworth. Building commenced at Kew (Kew Lunatic Asylum), Ararat, and Beechworth (Beechworth Asylum) at roughly the same time, however Ararat was completed first. The building of Ararat was contracted to O'Grady, Glynn, and O'Callaghan and not patients (or "inmates" as they were called) as many erroneously believe. The asylum was built as a town within a town with its own market gardens, orchards, vineyards, piggery, and other stock kept on the grounds. At its height it had over 500 staff and as it stands today the complex is made up of 63 buildings ranging in age from the original wings built in the 1860s to the modern forensic unit which was built in 1991 - only two years before the facility closed. Despite being closed as an asylum the facility continued to house female prisoners during the building/renovation of Dame Phyllis Frost Center right up until its current management took over in 2001.

Distinctive features

The asylum complex is an example of the E-plan barracks-type lunatic asylums based on the model 1850s asylum in Colney Hatch, England.  Ararat is very similar in design to its sister asylums at Kew and Beechworth, however, Ararat's use of linking bridges with an arcade on arched gateways is unique. Kew is considered to be an example of Second Empire design, whereas Ararat and Beechworth are considered more typically Italianate, though both styles have similar characteristics. The buildings are constructed from oversized bricks, which were then rendered with cement. Two storied ward wings extend to each side, one for each sex. The ward wings were surrounded by courtyards lined with iron-columned verandas,

Another distinctive feature of Ararat and other early Victorian asylums is the use of a variation on ha-ha walls around the patients' courtyards. They consisted of a trench, one side of which was vertical and faced with stone or bricks, the other side sloped and turfed. From the inside, the walls presented a tall face to patients, preventing them from escaping, while from the outside the walls looked low so as not to suggest imprisonment.

Grounds and landscaping

In 1913 the landscape gardener Hugh Linaker was employed to layout the grounds of Mont Park. As landscape gardener for the State Lunacy Department, he commenced a program of landscape improvements and tree plantings at asylums in Victoria. Linaker was already familiar with the area, having previously laid out the grounds of Alexandra Park in Ararat. Only a few remnants of the Linaker's plantings remain.

J Ward

In December 1886, the old jail at Ararat was proclaimed as "J Ward" of the Ararat Asylum. It was to cater for those persons who were detained in any jail, reformatory or industrial school, or other place of confinement, who appeared to be insane. The ward was not a separate institution in its own right and has continued to function as a division of the Ararat Mental Hospital. "J Ward" was always regarded as a temporary measure.

A new institution was to be built at Sunbury for the retention of the criminally insane. However, when the building was nearing completion it was decided that it would house females only and males would remain at "J Ward". In May 1988, the then Minister for Health announced that "J Ward" was to be closed over the next year.

The decommissioning of Aradale began in the early 1990s, with patients transferred to community living and to other facilities. After December 1993, the Ararat Forensic Psychiatry Center was the only remaining ward. In 1997, the remaining patients at AFPC were eventually transferred to Rosanna, until the new Thomas Embling Hospital in Fairfield was completed.

Current Use and the Paranormal

In 2001, the Victorian Government provided $7.4 million to Melbourne Polytechnic to establish a campus of the Melbourne Polytechnic's Ararat Training Center on the site of the hospital. 30 hectares of vineyard and 10 hectares of olive grove were planted in 2002, and an olive processing facility and winery were later built on site. The first planting at the Ararat campus was of 28 hectares of vines, which produced the first vintage in 2005. Since commencing training and research at Aradale in 2002, Melbourne Polytechnic also established a 250-tonne winery, a four-hectare lavender farm, and extensive training facilities. The Polytechnic campus was established to provide a world-class wine and hospitality training facility in Victoria.

There are regular paranormal investigations at the hospital, and it is considered one of the most haunted locations in Victoria, possibly all of Australia. The site was the subject of episode 11 of the "How Haunted?" podcast. 

Castle of Good Hope

 

The Castle of Good Hope (Dutch: Kasteel de Goede Hoop; Afrikaans: Kasteel die Goeie Hoop) is a bastion fort built in the 17th century in Cape Town, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland. In 1936 the Castle was declared a historical monument (now a provincial heritage site) and following restorations in the 1980s, it is considered the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.

History

Built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is the oldest existing building in South Africa. It replaced an older fort called the Fort de Goede Hoop which was constructed from clay and timber and built by Jan van Riebeeck upon his arrival at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Two redoubts, Redoubt Kyckuit (Lookout) and Redoubt Duijnhoop (Duneheap) were built at the mouth of the Salt River in 1654. The purpose of the Dutch settlement in the Cape was to act as a replenishment station for ships passing the treacherous coast around the Cape on long voyages between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).

During 1664, tensions between Great Britain and the Netherlands rose amid rumors of war. That same year, Commander Zacharias Wagenaer, successor to Jan van Riebeeck, was instructed by Commissioner Isbrand Goske to build a pentagonal fortress out of stone. The first stone was laid on 2 January 1666. The fortress was partially built by slave labor. The VOC was unsure about the size of the local population groups and thus feared a revolt if they enslaved them; instead, they brought in up to 60,000 enslaved people from Madagascar, Mozambique, the Dutch-Indies, and India. Work was interrupted frequently because the Dutch East India Company was reluctant to spend money on the project. On 26 April 1679, the five bastions were named after the main titles of William III of Orange-Nassau: Leerdam to the west, with Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau, and Oranje clockwise from it. The names of these bastions have been used as street names in suburbs in various provinces, but primarily of Cape Town, such as Stellenberg, and Bellville.

In 1682 the gated entry replaced the old entrance, which had faced the sea. A bell tower, situated over the main entrance, was built in 1684—the original bell, the oldest in South Africa, was cast in Amsterdam in 1697 by the East-Frisian bellmaker Claude Fremy and weighs just over 300 kilograms (660 lb). It was used to announce the time, as well as warn citizens in case of danger since it could be heard 10 kilometers away. It was also rung to summon residents and soldiers when important announcements needed to be made.

The French author François-Timoléon de Choisy was part of a party who resupplied at the fort in June 1685 on their way to Siam, and described the building thus:

"The fortress is very attractive. The dwellings consist of houses mostly covered in thatch, but so clean and so white that you know they are Dutch. There is a garden which the Company has laid out; I would love it to be in a corner at Versailles. As far as the eye can see there are walks of orange and lemon trees, vegetable gardens, espaliers, and dwarf trees, the whole interspersed with fresh-water springs...".

During his stay, de Choisy met with the Dutch Commissioner-General and a French chevalier named de Saint-Martin, whilst other members of the party hunted locally for "partridges, roe deer, and turtledoves". The Commissioner-General added small suckling pigs and wine from the Canary Islands to their rations, indicative of the stock they kept. de Choisy noted that at the time, more than 25 of the Dutch East India Company ships were stopping annually at the Cape to take on provisions of sheep, wine, fruit, and vegetables.

The fortress housed a church, bakery, various workshops, living quarters, shops, and cells, among other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was originally chosen because it lessened the effect of heat and the sun. A wall, built to protect citizens in case of an attack, divides the inner courtyard, which also houses the De Kat Balcony, which was designed by Louis Michel Thibault with reliefs and sculptures by Anton Anreith. The original was built in 1695 but rebuilt in its current form between 1786 and 1790. From the balcony, announcements were made to soldiers, slaves, and burghers of the Cape. The balcony leads to the William Fehr collection of paintings and antique furniture. It was briefly home to Lady Anne Barnard, after whom one of the Castle function rooms is named.

During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), part of the castle was used as a prison, and the former cells remain to this day. Fritz Joubert Duquesne, later known as the man who killed Kitchener and the leader of the Duquesne Spy Ring, was one of its more well-known residents. The walls of the castle were extremely thick, but night after night, Duquesne dug away the cement around the stones with an iron spoon. He nearly escaped one night, but a large stone slipped and pinned him in his tunnel. The next morning, a guard found him unconscious but alive.

In 1936, the Castle was declared a historical monument (from 1969 known as a national monument and since 1 April 2000 a provincial heritage site), the first site in South Africa to be so protected. Extensive restorations were completed during the 1980s making the Castle the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.

The Castle acted as local headquarters for the South African Army in the Western Cape, and today houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments. The Castle is also the home of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment, a mechanized infantry unit.

Cape Heritage Museum

The Cape Heritage Museum, located within the historic Castle of Good Hope in South Africa, is curated by Mr. Igshaan Higgins. This museum provides an inclusive narrative of South Africa's history, highlighting the interactions among different communities such as the Khoi, San, and Dutch, through various epochs including colonialism and apartheid. It aims to offer a balanced reflection on the nation's diverse heritage and complex past.

Symbolism

Before being replaced in 2003, the distinctive shape of the pentagonal castle was used on South African Defence Force flags, formed the basis of some rank insignia of major and above, and was used on South African Air Force aircraft.

Ohio State Reformatory

 

The Ohio State Reformatory (OSR), also known as the Mansfield Reformatory, is a historic prison located in Mansfield, Ohio in the United States. It was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in operation until 1990 when a United States Federal Court ruling (the 'Boyd Consent Decree') ordered the facility to be closed. While this facility was seen in a number of films (including several while the facility was still in operation), TV shows and music videos, it was made famous by the film The Shawshank Redemption (1994) when it was used for most scenes of the movie.

The Ohio State Reformatory is currently open to tourists Thursday–Monday, November 1st – March 31st, 11am–4pm, and 7 days a week, April 1st – October 31st, 11am–4pm. Extended summer hours, 10am–4pm, Memorial Day-Labor Day, are offered on Saturdays and Sundays.

History

The history of the Ohio State Reformatory began in 1862: the field where the reformatory would be built was used as a training camp for Civil War soldiers. The camp was named Camp Mordecai Bartley in honor of the Mansfield man who served as Ohio Governor in the 1840s.

In 1867, Mansfield was promoted as a candidate for the placement of the new Intermediate Penitentiary (the original name before it was changed to Ohio State Reformatory). The city raised $10,000 to purchase 30 acres of land for the prison, and the state acquired 150 acres of adjoining land for $20,000; the cost of the facility was $1,326,769. The Intermediate (Ohio State Reformatory) was intended as just that, a halfway point between the Boys Industrial School in Lancaster, Ohio and the State Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio which was intended to house young first–time offenders. Construction began in 1886 and remained under construction until 1910 due to funding problems which caused construction delays.

The original architect for the design was Levi T. Scofield from Cleveland, Ohio, who used three architectural styles; Victorian Gothic, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Queen Anne. The exterior of the building, which is built from brick and concrete, is designed in the Romanesque style giving the frontage a castle–like appearance. Scofield designed the reformatory with these unique styles to help encourage inmates to become reborn back into their spiritual lives. The creation and construction of the entire building was entrusted to well–known architect F.F. Schnitzer, whose name also appears on the cornerstone, and is recorded as Superintendent and Supervising Architect on documents found there. In 1891 the name was changed from Intermediate Penitentiary to Ohio State Reformatory.

On September 15, 1896, the reformatory opened its doors to its first 150 offenders. These prisoners were brought by train from Columbus and put immediately to work on the prison sewer system and the 25–foot stone wall surrounding the complex. Schnitzer was presented with a silver double inkwell by the governor of the state in a lavish ceremony to thank him for his services.

From 1935 until 1959 Arthur Lewis Glattke was the Superintendent. Initially a political appointment following Glattke's work on the Martin Davey campaign, by all accounts Glattke was respected by professionals and inmates alike. He implemented many reforms such as piped-in radio music in the cell blocks. Glattke's wife, Helen Bauer Glattke, died of pneumonia three days following an accident in November 1950 where a handgun discharged when she was reaching into a jewelry box in the family's quarters. Glattke died following a heart attack suffered in his office on February 10, 1959.

Over 200 people died at the OSR, including two guards who were killed during escape attempts.

Closure

The Reformatory remained in full operation until December 1990 when it was closed via federal court order. As the result of a prisoners' class action suit citing overcrowding and inhumane conditions (Boyd v. Denton, C.A. 78-1054A (N.D.Oh.)), District Judge Frank J. Battisti of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ordered the prison closed by the end of December 1986. This order was known as the Boyd Consent Decree. The closing date was moved to 1990 due to delays in constructing the replacement facility, the Mansfield Correctional Institution, which stands to the west of the old prison, where the yard, power plant, and other buildings once stood.

Most of the grounds and support buildings, including the outer wall, have been demolished since the closing. In 1995, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society was formed. They have turned the prison into a museum and conduct tours to help fund grounds rehabilitation projects and currently work to stabilize the buildings against further deterioration.

The East Cell Block remains the largest free–standing steel cell block in the world at six tiers high.

Restoration and tours

The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society is currently working to restore the facility to its original state. Restorations to date include the removal of debris, replacement of roofing, complete restoration of the Warden's quarters, as well as the complete restoration of the central guard room between the East and West Cell Blocks.

The restorations are being funded through donations and tour fees. The windows of the south side east cell block have been replaced, and all of the original stained glass windows that were in the building are planned to be replaced. Throughout the Halloween season, the building hosts a haunted house through Blood Prison.

The Ohio State Reformatory offers multiple types of guided tours: History Meets Hollywood which summarizes the history and movie history, Beyond the Bars which focuses more on the history and access to areas of the tour–route, and the Old Sparky Electric Chair tour, which discusses the creation and use of Ohio's Electric Chair. Although the electric chair was never used at The Ohio State Reformatory, it now resides in the Ohio Corrections Museum at the Reformatory.

The Ohio State Reformatory offers ghost tours as well as the normal daytime tours. They offer public ghost hunts for casual ghost hunters, private ghost hunts for more experienced ghost hunters, ghost walks for children 13 years and up, ghost hunt classes for children 13 years and up, and special ghost hunt events hosted by famous ghost hunters, celebrities, or historians.

Events

The Shawshank Redemption 30th Anniversary Celebration (shawshank30.com) will be hosted August 9th-11th, 2024.

The Ohio State Reformatory currently hosts several different events throughout the year, one of the most popular being the INKcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, which is a 3-day rock band show in mid–July. A few of the other events include the Halloween Haunted Attraction "Blood Prison" https://www.bloodprison.com/ which runs in September and October every year. The Shawshank Hustle a 7k running race that goes past 5 film locations of The Shawshank Redemption, ParaPsyCon (parapsycon.com), which is a weekend Paranormal and Psychic Convention held each May.

Films and television

The Ohio State Reformatory facility has been used as a location for many film and television productions, and is best known for its appearance as Shawshank State Prison in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption.

Harry and Walter Go to New York (1975) – Harry and Walter spend some time behind bars at the penitentiary, when the prison was still in operation.

Tango & Cash (1989) – The facility was used for various prison scenes, when the prison was still in operation.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – The prison was used for a large panning scene and the warden's office; an officers' quarters were used to shoot a sequence set in a civilian apartment.

Air Force One (1997) – The prison was used for scenes of a Russian prison for General Ivan Radek.

Godsmack – "Awake" music video, 2000.

Marilyn Manson – photography, 1996 – Frontman, Brian Hugh Warner, grew up in Canton, Ohio.

Ohio State Reformatory has been the subject of numerous paranormal investigation shows, including the Fox Family Channel's Scariest Stories on Earth, and Scariest Places on Earth.

The Travel Channel did a tourism documentary on the OSR.

The Travel Channel's television show Destination Fear filmed at the location for the fourth episode of their third season.

In 2005, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) investigated the facility for the SciFi Channel's TV series Ghost Hunters.

In 2004 Lil Wayne featured this prison in his video for the song "Go DJ".

In April 2006 the horror/thriller motion picture Fallen Angels (2007) was filmed almost entirely at OSR.

WWE shot a promotional poster featuring Triple H for their 2008 Judgment Day event in the facility.

In 2009 the facility was featured on Ghost Adventures in Season 3 Episode 4.

In 2010, the facility was used for an episode of Ghost Hunters Academy.

It is the filming place for the music video of the song "Relentless Chaos" by Miss May I.

The Purple Smoke Project (Hip hop group) filmed a video for the song "Calm Down" in 2011.

Attack Attack! shot a portion of their video "Smokahontas" in 2011.

Anti-Flag shot the majority of their video for "The New Sound" in the prison.

The National Geographic Channel featured the prison on the show Inside: Secret America S1/Ep 05 for the episode "Ghosts" in 2013.

Ghost Asylum on Destination America in 2015.

In 2016 the reformatory was investigated and featured on The Hambone Show.

David Allen Coe and The Moonshine Bandits (2017) recorded a music video for "Take This Job and Shove It".

In 2017, nu-metal act Motograter filmed a video for the song "Dorian".

On May 11, 2018, the facility was featured on an episode of BuzzFeed Unsolved.

On December 4, 2018, the facility was featured on the Discovery Channel show Mysteries of the Abandoned, Season 3, Episode 10.

In the fall of 2018, Escape Plan: The Extractors with Sylvester Stallone was filmed at the facility.

In April 2019, the facility was used to film country music artist Eric Church's "Some of It" music video.

In May 2019, American YouTuber MrBeast did a 24-hour challenge video in the prison with the title, “24 Hours in The Most Haunted Place on Earth”.

On November 25 and 26, 2019, filming for Judas and the Black Messiah took place at the Reformatory.

In February 2020, Chris Jericho had an episode of his podcast; Talk is Jericho, about the prison and the fact that it is supposedly haunted.

In November or December 2021 YouTubers Sam Golbach & Colby Brock did a paranormal investigation for their YouTube series The Attachment.

Between May and June of 2022, Shelby Oaks filmed scenes at this location.

Dead Man's Island

 

Deadman's Island is a small island in the estuary of the River Medway in Kent, United Kingdom close to where The Swale flows into the Medway. It is a flat, raised area of marshland around 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) long and 200 meters (660 ft) wide among the tidal sand banks on the southern side of the estuary and separated from the British mainland of Chetney Marshes by a narrow channel known as Shepherd's Creek. The town of Queenborough lies around one kilometer (0.62 mi) to the east across the West Swale channel. The island is crossed by several narrow tidal channels which means that at high tide the island is separated into several smaller islands.

The island consists primarily of mudbanks and is uninhabited. Owned by Natural England, it is leased to two people and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its importance as a nesting and breeding site for birds.

In 2016 the remains of more than 200 humans were found on the island. It is believed that the remains are those of men and boys who died of disease on board prison hulks, floating prisons that were moored in the area around 200 years ago. Originally buried in wooden coffins under six feet (1.8 m) of mud, coastal erosion and rising sea levels have washed away the mud to expose the remains at times of low tide. The island is marked with wooden posts across it, though these are probably to help identify the island and prevent erosion and not grave markers as sometimes claimed.

Chateau de Brissac

 

The Château de Brissac is a French château in the Brissac-Quincé area of the commune of Brissac Loire Aubance, located in the department of Maine-et-Loire, France. The property is owned by the noble Cossé family, whose head bears the French hereditary title of Duke of Brissac. The château is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

History

The château was originally built as a castle by the Counts of Anjou in the 11th century. After the victory over the English by King Philip II of France, he gave the property to Guillaume des Roches. In the 15th century, the structure was rebuilt by Pierre de Brézé, a wealthy chief minister to King Charles VII of France. During the reign (1515–47) of King Francis I, the property was acquired by René de Cossé, who was named by the King as governor of Anjou and Maine.

During the French Wars of Religion, the château was made a possession in 1589 by the Protestant leader, Henry of Navarre. Severely damaged, the fortress was scheduled to be demolished. However, Charles II de Cossé sided with Henry of Navarre, who soon was crowned King of France. In gratitude, King Henry gave him the property, the noble title of Duke of Brissac, and the money to rebuild the château in 1611.

Its construction made it the tallest château in France and its façade reflects the influences of the 17th century's Baroque architecture. Through marriage, the Cossé-Brissac family also acquired the Château Montreuil-Bellay but later sold it.

In August 1620, King Louis XIII and his mother, Marie de Medici, met to discuss their differences in the "neutral" territory of the Château de Brissac. A temporary truce between the two was reached. Still, it did not last long, and the Queen Mother was eventually banished.

The descendants of the first Duke of Brissac maintained the château until 1792 when the property was ransacked during the French Revolution. It lay in waste until a restoration program began in 1844 and was carried on by subsequent Dukes of Brissac.

The château today

Today, the Château de Brissac is still owned by the Cossé-Brissac family. The property is currently managed by Charles-André de Cossé-Brissac, 14th Duke of Brissac (b. 1962), who is the elder son of François de Cossé-Brissac, 13th Duke of Brissac (1929–2021).

The château has seven stories altogether, making it the tallest château in the Loire Valley. The château is open to the public for tours and overnight stays in its guest rooms, and the luxurious gilded theatre hosts the annual Val de Loire festival. It was also used until recently as a location for the Brazilian celebrity magazine Caras.

In popular culture

During the mid-1990s, the château was prominently featured as the temporary stadium for the Iron Chef French Battles of the original Japanese Iron Chef Television show. Two battles were staged at the Château de Brissac and aired in Japan on April 12, 1996. The first battle, with the theme ingredient salmon, was between Bernard Leprince and Iron Chef Japanese Koumei Nakamura, and it was won by Leprince. At the time, Leprince was the chef at La Tour d'Argent in Paris. The second battle was between Pierre Gagnaire and Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai, with the theme ingredient lobster, and it was won by Gagnaire.

The château was also featured in the Japanese visual novel version of Fate/Stay Night.

Eden Brown Estate

 

The Eden Brown Estate was a plantation on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. It is located in Saint James Windward parish. It is now in ruins. The estate is 85 meters above sea level.

Supposedly the ghost of Miss Huggins haunts the grounds, "lamenting her sorrow and searching for her lost love," according to Hubbard.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

 

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, also known as Hotel Roosevelt, is a historic hotel located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. It opened on May 15, 1927, and is the oldest continually operating hotel in Los Angeles.

History

The hotel was built in 1926, in what is known as the Golden Era of Los Angeles architecture, and was named after the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. It was financed by a group that included Louis B. Mayer, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Sid Grauman. It cost $2.5 million ($43.9 million today) to complete and opened on May 15, 1927.

The hotel went on a decline in the 1950s. An owner around that time demolished its archways, covered up its elaborately painted ceilings, and painted the entire hotel seafoam green. Radisson Hotels purchased the hotel in 1985 and, using original blueprints and historic photos of the hotel's Spanish Colonial architecture, undertook a $35 million renovation, restoring the lobby's coffered ceiling and adding a three-tiered fountain, among other improvements. The million-dollar mural at the bottom of the hotel's Tropicana Pool was painted by David Hockney in 1987.

In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Hotel Roosevelt listed as a contributing property in the district. On August 13, 1991, the City of Los Angeles declared the hotel building Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 545.

In 1995, Goodwin Gaw purchased the hotel from Clarion Hotels, with David Chang later becoming co-owner. In 2005, the Thompson Hotel Group assumed oversight of the hotel's management. The Dodd Mitchell Design Group and David Siguaw oversaw a $30 million hotel renovation in 2005. Since 2015, the hotel has been run independently by its own management company. In 2015, the hotel completed a $25 million renovation with rooms designed by Yabu Pushelberg and plans for a new poolside food and beverage outlet. The hotel was then inducted into Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in 2016.

Design and style

The 12-story hotel has 300 guest rooms including 63 suites. It occupies a site on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and across Hollywood Boulevard from the TCL Chinese Theatre. The building has a Spanish Colonial Revival Style interior, with leather sofas, wrought-iron chandeliers, and colorful tiled fountains.

The architects Fisher, Lake, and Traver are also credited with the Westward Ho Hotel in Phoenix and The Willmore Building in Long Beach.

The Gable-Lombard penthouse, a 3,200 square-foot duplex with an outdoor deck with views of the Hollywood Hills and the Hollywood sign, is named for Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who used to stay in the room for five dollars a night. The Marilyn Monroe suite is named for the actress, who lived at the hotel for two years early in her career. Other accommodations include King Superior rooms and vintage 1950s poolside cabanas.

Restaurants and bars

The hotel has a total of eight restaurants, bars, and lounges. 25 Degrees is a hamburger restaurant located just off the hotel lobby. It was opened in 2005. Public Kitchen & Bar features American food in an Old Hollywood-style dining room. Tim Goodell is the head chef of both restaurants. The Spare Room is a gaming parlor and cocktail lounge; the Library Bar is a cocktail bar with cocktails made using locally sourced ingredients; and Tropicana Bar overlooks the pool. Beacher's Madhouse is a vaudeville-inspired theater owned and operated by Jeff Beacher. Teddy's, a nightclub located off the lobby, was considered a celebrity haunt. It opened in 2005, was remodeled in 2012 and closed in 2015.

In popular culture

The first Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on May 16, 1929, inside the Blossom Ballroom. A private ceremony open only to Academy members, it was hosted by Academy president Douglas Fairbanks and held three months after the winners were announced, with 270 people in attendance. At the time, the "Oscar" nickname for the award had not yet been invented (the nickname would be introduced four years later).

Facing heavy debt in 1986, five-time Academy Award winner Lyle Wheeler sold boxes of his possessions, including his five Oscars. His award for art direction for The Diary of Anne Frank was auctioned for $21,250 to William Kaiser. Kaiser returned the award to Wheeler at a ceremony held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1989.

The hotel has hosted the Golden Raspberry Awards, the ceremony recognizing the year's worst in film, on numerous occasions.

The pool at the Roosevelt Hotel was featured in a 1955 episode of I Love Lucy when the Ricardos and Mertzes came to Hollywood.

Several scenes from the 1988 film Sunset, starring Bruce Willis and James Garner, were filmed at the hotel, including a recreation of the 1929 Academy Awards ceremony.

The scene of the 1989 film The Fabulous Baker Boys where Susie (Michelle Pfeiffer) sings "Makin' Whoopie" while Jack (Jeff Bridges) plays piano was shot at the Cinegrill nightclub in the hotel.

The hotel's hallway can be seen in episode 7 of the 2016 FX true crime anthology television series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, as a substitute for an Oakland hotel where Christopher Darden and Marcia Clark spend the night.

Other films shot on location at the hotel include Internal Affairs (starring Richard Gere), Beverly Hills Cop II (starring Eddie Murphy), and Catch Me If You Can (starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg). Other television shows shot at the hotel include Knots Landing, Moonlighting and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Prince performed five shows at the hotel in 2007, including dinner with his chef, a two-hour performance, and a post-set jazz jam.

The TV series Lucifer frequently includes exterior views of the hotel in establishing shots. A scene between Lucifer and Amenadiel in the first season episode "Take Me Back to Hell" takes place on the roof, with the back of the Roosevelt's sign visible.

The Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Out of the Past" featured the hotel prominently throughout the episode.

Notable residents and guests

Marilyn Monroe lived at the hotel for two years early in her career and posed for her first commercial photography shoot by the pool. She and Arthur Miller were said to have met at the hotel's Cinegrill nightclub.

Montgomery Clift stayed at the hotel for three months in 1952 during the filming of From Here to Eternity.

Frances Farmer was honored at a party there in 1958, the night she appeared on Ralph Edwards' This Is Your Life.

Errol Flynn is rumored to have created his recipe for bootleg gin in a tub in the hotel's barbershop.

Shirley Temple learned to do her famous stair-step dance routine on the hotel stairs.

Astrologer and writer Linda Goodman wrote several of her books in a suite at the hotel.

Actress Elizabeth Patterson, widely recognized for her role as Mrs. Trumbull on the classic comedy series I Love Lucy, lived in the hotel during her 35-year film and television career.

Other notable hotel guests include Charlie Chaplin, H. G. Wells, Clark Gable, Max Baer Sr., Carole Lombard, Mary Martin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Mike Posner, Prince, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie.

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel often uses the hotel as a prize for a game called "Hostel La Vista" which pits two tourists who are visiting Los Angeles staying in a nearby youth hostel against each other. In this game, the contestants are asked various questions about the city of Los Angeles and the state of California. The player, who gets the most questions right wins, leaves the hostel, and gets to stay at the hotel for the remainder of their stay for free.

Alleged hauntings

Throughout the years, there have been rumors of hauntings and ghosts at the hotel. Some involve celebrities who previously stayed at the hotel, such as Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, and Errol Flynn. Others involve a little girl in a blue dress named Caroline. There have also been reports of cold spots, photographic "orbs", and mysterious phone calls to the hotel operator.