Episode 42 – Originally Published 2017
Content warning: This episode contains adult subject matter, including violence, prisoner abuse and death, which may be upsetting to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
Holmesburg Prison in Northeast Philadelphia closed in 1995 after operating for almost 100 years, leaving behind a legacy of pain, torture and despair. In 1938 Holmesburg was the site of the Bake Oven Murders. 23 inmates were locked in an isolation cell block known as the Klondike for four days. On the morning of the fourth day, four men were dead after being baked alive.
A little over 30 years later, Holmesburg Prison made headlines for another prisoner abuse scandal, except this one lasted for 20 years while inmates were subjected to medical, chemical, and scientific testing, with no idea what was put on or in their bodies. In part one we discuss Holmesburg’s origins in North Philly when it opened in 1896, the first hint of abuse in 1922 and the Bake Oven Murders of 1938. Part two tells the story of experiments conducted at Holmesburg from 1951 till 1974, and the men who still suffer to this day.
TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS