…and time keeps draggin’ on.” And my apologies to Johnny Cash for the paraphrase of his classic hit but it just fit so perfectly with the subject of today’s tale. What I speak of is the old Craggy Correctional Center, which we always just called Craggy Prison. It was a medium security facility located on Riverside Drive in Woodfin, NC, my hometown, a northern suburb of Asheville.
Just recently I’ve shared with you other facets of this area, speaking of the French Broad River and the Craggy Bridge which spans it. And this prison was in its own way a part of my life for I passed it every day on my way to my high school. Even then it was creepily eerie looking, but today’s version is directly out of a horror film, a haunted site.
A ghost of a prison still standing.
The prison was dedicated in 1924 and operated until a new one was built in 1989. As it now stands, it is in total disrepair, dilapidated, yet it still stands due to the environmental impact razing it would cause due to the hazardous materials to be removed, mainly asbestos, and there are currently no plans of demolition due to the cost involved.
There have been several inquiries over the years of using the site for filming movies, denied due to safety concerns. There’s a local haunted tour company that was even denied permission to park in the parking lot due to safety concerns. The company actually has a refurbished hearse dubbed Lenore in honor of Edgar Allen Poe’s famous unrequited love. The main reason they were interested in the prison was not only that it looks haunted, there is the story of the “woman in white,” who occasionally appears on the steps of the Church of the Redeemer near the prison, then making her way to the nearby waters of the French Broad River before moving on to the prison, not a quarter of a mile away.
Where the “woman in white” appears. As to who she is or why this is her home, I have no idea.
The facility is still used by the state, however. Behind the old main prison building, the Correction Enterprises has a building where they operate a laundry where approximately 50 inmates daily wash about 36 loads of inmate uniforms. And at times, the inmates may be assigned to Department of Transportation road crews or as maintenance or kitchen help at the nearby newer prison. And back in the old day, most of the prisoners did work on road crews.
I vividly remember, back in the day, seeing prison buses – with bars in the windows and a yellow wagon attached to hold tools – parked on the side of local highways with inmates in prison uniform slaving away while guards with shotguns stood by. I also recall seeing prisoners with sledge hammers busting rock which had been blasted off the side of a hill beside the prison, just like in one of those old prison movies like Cool Hand Luke. But that was back in the old days. I see nothing like that anymore. There are times I see individuals on the side of the highways with garbage bags picking up litter, doing what is most likely community service for misdemeanor crimes, with no armed guards or any supervision at all.
The cliff from whence came the boulders to be busted into road gravel.
“I hear the train a comin’, It’s rollin’ ’round the bend”
In thinking of this old prison, I still can’t help but think of Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues. The opening lyrics to the song speak to Craggy Prison in a way because right across the road from the prison sit some old train cars, right past a bend in the tracks: I hear the train a comin’, It’s rollin’ ’round the bend. But seeing that the prison now sits empty, those old cars say it all for they are antiques sitting at the end of a closed section of track no longer used. And so it goes as the world moves on.
That’s a gorgeous area. I would love to explore all of these great spots and the surrounding countryside. There’s nothing like rural America.
That is fully awesome. I would love to see that prison. I’ve always loved old, abandoned facilities like that. They have an incredibly unique vibe.
Whoa! Looks like a spot to travel to and check out. Really interesting that there’s a laundry facility behind the original building where inmates wash uniforms.
This looks like a beautiful area to check out and its great there is also an old prison to check out. Cant believe they just left it as it is.
I recently watched the movie about Johnny Cash, this prison was cool. But that is from a distance, I am not sure I would think so if I lived close to it!
I began my 30 year career at the old Craggy Prison. I was 20 years old and worked there from 1983 until 1989 after it was closed and we opened the new Craggy Correctional Center. The old place was haunted, whether you believe me or not. I personally experienced very strange and eerie happenings there and to this day still swear it is haunted. That old place will forever be a part of me and sometimes, when I think back, I realize that I really miss it deep down inside. I retired from the Dept. of Correction in 2012 as Asst. Supt. at Buncombe Correctional Center, which is the minimum custody facility on the hill above the new Craggy. I worked at four different facilities over my 30 year career but Old Craggy always comes to mind time and time again. Thank you for your article, brought back fond memories.
Thanks for your comments, John. It makes me feel good to write something that others enjoy and find memories in.
I hate making myself deliberately scared (which would explain my distaste if horror movies), but I know many friends who would love to visit!
Harry, very well written. It brings back so many memories of my childhood passing by there day after day for many years. I would go fishing off the craggy bridge and somehow ended up walking up the railroad tracks and see the prison. It was eerie then but now it’s unmentionable. Thanks for the article. Really enjoyed it.
Thanks, Bruce. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I, too, passed by it so many times over the years and still do since my son goes to the middle school, which was the high school when we were there.
I don’t know, but prisons make me feel creepy. My husband would surely love to visit this, though.
Craggy was a scary place to us children growing up in Asheville. There was always that fear of being taken there for being bad….as an adult in the late 1970’s I actually visited an inmate one Sunranday, ,, enough for me! Bad vibes for sure…
I love finding unique places to check out during my travels – and this spot has deffinitely made it to my list of must see places!!
This is one of those sites that I would love to visit just for curiosity’s sake even though I am a little scared inside. Love the post!
Thanks, Betty.
This looks really need though. I would love to visit there. I love places like this.
What a great article! My dad worked at Craggy after retiring from the Army. He started as a guard, then oversaw the kitchen, then drove the truck all around WNC that carried the laundry from the prison to other prisons. My husband, uncle, great-uncle and other family members were all guards at one point. As for the haunted stories, they all said yes – and these were men you would never think to hear that. I now live just down the river from Craggy and pass it all the time. I can’t help but take it in each time I go by, thinking of the past when it was very busy place. It definitely looks straight out of a horror movie now.
Thanks, Janet. Glad you enjoyed the post.
I lived in Woodfin in the 70 one night there was a prison break
My husband went out to check that all cars were locked and out buildings were locked. While he was out the back door hsndke start to turn I yelled it locked thinking he was checking to make sure. He comes in the front door just about the same time. Needless to say I was thankful I yelled it’s locked and didn’t open it to see who was out side. Also right there at the prison remember how there was a place in the road as you drove over it took you stomach likes roller coaster does. Thanks for the memories!
I had to read this twice and then have my bf read. We would both love to go exploring out that way. Such a great post
I absolutely love historical spots like this. So much to learn about them!
That looks like such a pretty area. I would LOVE to visit. My girls love it when we visit historical destinations, they have fun and learn something new.
we got to visit and your the old facility some time around 1990 from the Erwin High School criminal justice class with Mr. Berezek. It was just as everyone described, although by then, the beds had been moved out and the roof was leaking. Think of long rooms full of bunk beds with somewhat open shower and bathroom facilities at either end. It was enough for us high school boys to think about how easy it was for a prisoner to get shanked (which I understand did happen or at least that’s what I remember from the story on the tour).
I distinctly remember just standing there, no one talking, and the sounds that the place made, very ominous. The busted out windows and rusted bars, the paint chipping off everywhere, the place really was out of a horror film, but I absolutely loved going and the history behind such an old building.
Also, the prison yard in the back was interesting, seems I remember that part of the perimeter was the mountain rock with a large fence and barbed wire going up along the sides, with a prison overlook guard tower as well. Good times!
Interesting story. Criminal justice, huh?. I imagine that’s something they started offering after I graduated from Erwin.
Old abandoned buildings, while they creep me out, have always intrigued me! I’d love the opportunity to explore the these!
What a great post! I was born and raised in Woodfin and passed that prison everyday! I have always wanted to go inside! What a great tour it would make! Just give me a mask first! ? History is something we need to respect and research. Let’s do it! Thanks again!
What an amazing place to visit! My husband and I always look for unique places like this one to visit so I’m adding it to my “hopefully some day” list!
wow such a gorg area. it is very unique. looks like a great tour place.
Been in there several times through the years. It was a real old school prison. Cell blocks with bunk beds not individual cells. Only cells I remember were down in the basement where solitary confinements were. They served good food. they had a good size Chapel down stairs, and those men could sure sing!! But it could be a spooky place.
My father retired from the “new” Craggy Prison as a Leiutenant in 1994. The majority of his work years was spent at Old Craggy Prison. Once the new prison was built and the inmates had all been moved into the new building I had the privilege of getting to tour through Old Craggy with my Daddy and cousin who also worked in the old prison and retired from the new one. It was an amazing experience I shall never forget. So eerie…..