From the outside, it looks more like a castle than a modern-day prison. And the fortresslike facility stands out just as prominently as ever from Centennial Boulevard in West Nashville.
But the Tennessee State Prison – built in 1898 during the tail end of the Gilded Age and last used as a state penitentiary in 1992 – is deteriorating.
Asbestos made the historic main entry of the Gothic-style facility off-limits four years ago. Its front door is padlocked shut. Paint chips have piled up on the floors of cellblocks.
Read more at our news partner’s website, tennessean.com.