Allegheny County Jail

The historic jail, designed by renowned architect H.H. Richardson and completed in 1886, is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in America. The imposing stone structure housed some of Pittsburgh's most dangerous criminals for over a century.

The Old Allegheny County Jail was completed in 1886 to the designs of Boston architect H.H. Richardson, who is considered the leading American architect of the 19th century. Richardson built the jail in a style he pioneered—Richardsonian Romanesque—inspired by 11th-century medieval architecture with rounded arches as a defining characteristic. He considered the courthouse and jail complex to be among his finest works. The imposing granite and brick structure served continuously for 109 years before closing on July 27, 1995.

The building has been the scene of violence, sorrow, and drama that makes it prime real estate for restless spirits. The most famous haunting involves Kate Soffel, wife of the jail warden, who fell in love with inmate Ed Biddle in 1902. Ed and his brother Jack Biddle were notorious for robbery, torture, and murder. Kate helped them escape, but two days later, after a shootout in Butler County, both brothers were dead. Today, Kate's ghost is said to still roam the old jail, shuffling papers and touching unsuspecting guards.

In 1907, inmate William Culp caused a terrifying phenomenon after committing suicide in the prison. He reportedly haunted the prisoners by re-enacting a horrific murder every night between midnight and 1 a.m. All the prisoners on death row claimed to see the same thing happen nightly. They were so terrified that the warden took pity on them and moved murderer's row to a different section of the jail.

The building's haunted reputation has attracted Hollywood. The 1984 film Mrs. Soffel, based on Kate's story, was filmed partly on location using actual prisoners as extras. The jail also appears in The Silence of the Lambs.

A portion of one cellblock was carefully preserved as a museum when the jail closed. Since 2005, visitors have been able to tour the Old Allegheny County Jail Museum at 440 Ross Street in downtown Pittsburgh, where Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation docents share stories and lead visitors across the Bridge of Sighs—imagining the footsteps of prisoners crossing into confinement.