Abandon State Prison

State Prison – Nashville

This prison’s 120-year history is marked with fame and infamy. The same place that served as the setting of “The Green Mile” also held MLK’s assassin for a time.

Author: Elizabeth Sims – Published: 3:26 PM EST 11 – 16 – 2018

Updated: 3:05 PM EDT July 30, 2019

Nashville, Tenn. — The Tennessee State Prison was opened on Feb. 12, 1898, just outside Nashville.

Built on a little over 1,200 acres for around a half a million dollars, construction took several years because each stone on the structure was handmade. Tool marks are still visible today.

“Each mark in those stones is the swing of an arm,” said Chris Haley, the statewide facility maintenance manager for the Tennessee Department of Correction.

The Tennessee State Prison was opened on Feb. 12, 1898 just outside Nashville. Photo by Elizabeth Sims.

The Tennessee State Prison was forced to close in June 1992 after a federal lawsuit and court ruling found it to be overcrowded and unsanitary. Photo by Elizabeth Sims.

Built on a little over 1,200 acres for around a half a million dollars, construction took several years because each stone on the structure was handmade. Tool marks are still visible…

A look through the bars of cell block three at the Tennessee State Prison, which once housed MLK’s assassin, James Earl Ray. Photo by Elizabeth Sims.

06 / 09

It was the setting of several movies like “The Green Mile” and “Walk The Line,” and a number of singers, like Eric Church, have filmed music videos at the site. Photo by…

07 / 09

An inmate painted this mural with permission from officers. It was half-finished when he was paroled. He was able to finish the mural when he returned to the prison after a parole…

08 / 09

Housing unit six was the death row block. However, it became an honor dorm when the death penalty was banned. Photo by Elizabeth Sims.

09 / 09

The prison was designed to hold 800 inmates, but the department wasted no time exceeding this limit by incarcerating around 1,200 people on opening day. Photo by…

The first prisoner was a Madison County tailor named W.G. Cook, who made his own uniform, according to an article from TDOC’s Correction Courier.

Inmates were expected to work in the farmlands, mills and factories on site. At one point, a train track ran through the grounds to load up the goods produced by prisoners.

The six foot by eight foot cells, which were designed to house one person, often held at least two inmates. Some even had four crammed inside.

The cell block housing units were five stories tall. TDOC chief interdiction officer Dan Strickland, who started his career at the prison in 1975, remembers climbing all of those stairs day after day in the un-air-conditioned building.

“It was hot in the summer and it was hot in the winter,” Strickland said. “By the end of the day, you were ready to go home, take a shower, eat and go to bed.”

The conditions in the prison were hard on inmates and officer alike.

The Tennessee State Prison was forced to close in June 1992 after a federal lawsuit and court ruling found it to be overcrowded and unsanitary.

Strickland said the closing prompted several changes in TDOC, especially in regards to acknowledging prisoners’ needs. He said Tennessee is now a leader in rehabilitation and work release programs for inmates.

“I guess they think everybody’s locked up all the time. That’s not the case,” Strickland said. “It’s an honor for them to be out of their cells and working.”

The closing also brought about more structure, better population management, better programs and better living conditions.

During its 120-year history, the prison has hosted both the famous and the infamous.

It was the setting of several movies like “The Green Mile” and “Walk The Line,” and a number of singers, like Eric Church, have filmed music videos at the site.

On the other hand, cell block three once housed James Earl Ray, who assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Despite its impressive architecture and rich history, it is not safe to enter the prison because of asbestos and other health concerns. Haley stresses it is still structurally sound.

Although, visitors are able to see the grounds for the annual Run the Green Mile 5K, which supports the historical fund.

TDOC officials say while the prison no longer houses inmates, the property overall is not abandoned and still used by the department.

Explore the rest of the series, and suggest other places for us to visit. 

Reporter’s note: Though many of these buildings are unused and empty, they sit on private property that is still actively used in some cases. DO NOT attempt to unlawfully enter any of these places without permission. Many of them are structurally unsound and pose potential health hazards, like asbestos and lead paint. 10News contacted all owners prior to visiting.

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Tennessee Whiskey Trail

TENNESSEE DISTILLERS GUILD ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF THE TENNESSEE WHISKEY TRAIL Tennessee distillers come together to unveil a 25-stop whiskey tour across the state NASHVILLE, Tenn., JUNE 19, 2017 — The Tennessee Distillers Guild, a membership organization consisting of 25 Tennessee distilleries, is proud to announce the official launch of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, a 25-stop distillery tour.

Tennessee is known the world over for our music and hospitality. And our whiskey. Tennessee has been a leader in spirits distillation throughout our nation’s history. That includes the time before, during, and after Prohibition. Our pride in craftsmanship and our spirit of independence led Tennesseans to make some of the world’s finest whiskey and some of the nation’s most sought after moonshine. And it drives us to this day. Today Tennessee distillers are crafting distilled spirits as diverse as the music born in this State. From Blues to Bluegrass and from vodka to Tennessee Whiskey, Tennessee distillers are bringing our innovative and legendary spirits to our communities and the world. http://tnwhiskeytrail.com/

Nothing gets glitzier or says music better than our capital city of Nashville. Middle

Tennessee is also home to 13 outstanding distilleries, including the iconic Jack Daniel

and George Dickel distilleries. Located in towns with names like Lewisburg,

Thompson’s Station, Lascassas and Clarksville, the distilleries of Middle Tennessee are

in the areas famous for moonshining in the 1920’s and 1930’s. More sophisticated

today, the distilleries in the region offer a variety of tours and other sightseeing

adventures.

The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is made up of approximately 30 distilleries across the state. These distilleries range from small, boutique-style operations to well-known distilleries that have been making legendary Tennessee Whiskey for generations.

On the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, you will experience the history and tradition of Tennessee Whiskey as well as the innovation Tennessee distillers are bringing to whiskey, rum, gin, vodka and even moonshine. Along the Trail, you’ll get to know the rich landscapes, must-see landmarks, and genuine Southern hospitality that has influenced our spirits for generations and that embody the great state of Tennessee. From The Great Smokey Mountains to the rolling hills and honky-tonks of Middle Tennessee to the jazz-filled streets of Memphis beside the mighty Mississippi River, The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is an adventure across our land and our culture. So come be a part of our story and let your adventures run on Tennessee Whiskey.

IT’S ALL ABOUT HISTORY, TRADITION & INGENUITY

Tennessee is known the world over for our music and hospitality.  And our whiskey.  Tennessee has been a leader in spirits distillation throughout our nation’s history.  That includes the time before, during, and after Prohibition.  Our pride in craftsmanship and our spirit of independence led Tennesseans to make some of the world’s finest whiskey and some of the nation’s most sought after moonshine. And it drives us to this day.   Today Tennessee distillers are crafting distilled spirits as diverse as the music born in this State. From Blues to Bluegrass and from vodka to Tennessee Whiskey, Tennessee distillers are bringing our innovative and legendary spirits to our communities and the world.

The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is made up of approximately 30 distilleries across the state.  These distilleries range from small, boutique-style operations to well-known distilleries that have been making legendary Tennessee Whiskey for generations.

On the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, you will experience the history and tradition of Tennessee Whiskey as well as the innovation Tennessee distillers are bringing to whiskey, rum, gin, vodka and even moonshine.  Along the Trail, you’ll get to know the rich landscapes, must-see landmarks, and genuine Southern hospitality that has influenced our spirits for generations and that embody the great state of Tennessee. From The Great Smokey Mountains to the rolling hills and honky-tonks of Middle Tennessee to the jazz-filled streets of Memphis beside the mighty Mississippi River, The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is an adventure across our land and our culture. So come be a part of our story and let your adventures run on Tennessee Whiskey.

Our History

Tennessee has long been a leader in producing distilled spirits. As our nations early founders moved west, they carried with them the craft of whiskey.  Fortunately for Tennessee, the land, water, and climate is nearly perfect for the production of whiskey.  So make whiskey we did.

Tennessee was a leading producer of distilled spirits even prior to the Civil War. In fact, Tennessee made so much whiskey, that the then Confederate government of Tennessee outlawed whiskey production in order to field and supply the army. This was the nation’s first act of prohibition.  Following the Civil War, Tennessee quickly rebuilt its distilled spirits industry.  In 1908 Tennessee had hundreds of registered distilleries across the state.  Unfortunately for Tennessee and enthusiasts of fine spirits everywhere, Tennessee again led the way in prohibition in 1910, banning the production of whiskey ten years ahead of the Federal ban in 1920.

Tennessee would remain dry until 1939, six years after the Federal ban was lifted.  While these laws destroyed the legal spirits trade in Tennessee, Tennesseans across the state kept making whiskey and maintained Tennessee’s reputation as a place for fine whiskey and moonshine.  The Jack Daniel Distillery reopened soon after the law allowed in 1940, and George Dickel returned in the 1950’s, and both began rebuilding our once proud legal distilled spirits industry.  In the mid-1990’s Pritchard’s distillery opened Tennessee’s first craft distillery and that is where progress stalled.  In 2009, Tennessee began reforming its prohibition-era laws and eliminated many nearly insurmountable legal barriers to entry.

Since then, the number of Tennessee distilleries has grown from three to the now thirty distilleries Tennessee host’s across the state.   These distilleries range from small, boutique-style operations making traditional and innovative spirits to well-known distilleries that have been making legendary Tennessee Whiskey for generations. The Tennessee Whiskey Trail was established in 2017 by these distilleries to bring you our State’s great spirits heritage.

Learn About the Craft of Making Spirits

All forms of alcoholic beverages—beer, wine, and spirits —are based on fermentation.  Fermentation is the natural process where yeast consumes sugar, leaving alcohol as result. With beer and wine, fermentation is the end of the alcohol production process.  Spirit production involves the extra step of distillation, which involves heating up beer, wine or sugar-based wash in order to concentrate the alcohol through evaporation.
Distilled spirits can be classified into two broad categories: brown spirits and white spirits. Brown spirits are spirits aged in wood barrels, and include aged whiskies, such as Tennessee Whiskey and bourbon, as well as aged rums and repesado tequila.  White spirits are un-aged spirits and include vodka, gin, and clear, unaged rum and tequila.

Whiskey, including Tennessee Whiskey, is any distilled spirit made from a fermented mash made of grain. Brandy, for example, is a distilled spirit made from fermented mash made of fruit, such as grapes or apples, and as such, is not whiskey.  The four primary steps to make whiskey are mashing, fermenting, distilling, and aging. Each distiller uses grain combinations chosen by that distillers to produce a specific type of whiskey.  Tennessee Whiskey, for example must be at least 51% corn.  Other common grains in Tennessee Whiskey are barley, rye, and/or wheat.

Those grains are ground into a fine meal, mixed with water, and cooked until the starches in the grain have been converted into sugars. This process creates a mash that is mixed with yeast, which then converts the sugars into alcohol. The fermented mash, also known as beer, is then pumped into a still and heated up, where evaporation and steam condensation allows the alcohol to separate from the water and grain byproducts.

Whiskey, like all spirits, is colorless when it comes off the still. The distilled spirit must be aged in an oak container to become whiskey. Tennessee Whiskey goes a step farther and requires that the spirits be first filtered through sugar maple charcoal and then aged in new, charred, white oak barrels to become Tennessee Whiskey.  The aging process refines the whiskey and gives it all of its color.  Once the whiskey is properly aged and bottled, the next – and final – step is to just sip and enjoy!

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