Thirty-six homicides were confirmed at the prison, including the butchering of R.D. A recreation room known as "The Sugar Shack" was infamous as a haven for gambling, fighting, and rape. However, conditions worsened through the years, and the prison was ranked among the most violent by the U.S. A prison coal mine opened a mile away in 1921, and some inmates were allowed to stay at the mine's camp. Inmates regularly attended classes, and a school and library were completed in 1900 to help reform and educate inmates. The prison was virtually self-sufficient, and conditions through the early 20th century were considered adequate. The original architectural designs have been lost. The design of the Moundsville facility is similar to that of the state prison in Joliet, Illinois, built in 1858 with turrets and battlements though scaled down to half the size. A four-story tower connecting the two wings included administrative offices, space for female inmates, and living quarters for the warden and his family.
The North Hall included a chapel, kitchen, hospital, and dining area. The South Hall contained 224 four-by-seven-foot cells. Officials used prison labor, as it did in the north and south cell-block areas.
The first building raised was the fanciful North Wagon Gate, completed in 1876, built with hand-worked sandstone quarried locally. Detail from vintage illustration of Moundsville showing mound (left) and penitentiary (upper right).
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