Restoration Updates

By Sandy Lykins

The restoration of the assistant warden’s living quarters, also known as Warden Norton’s office in the Shawshank Redemption, was finalized in May of 2017. The intricate restoration process involved the skilled restoration staff’s intensive labor for three months. Notice the deteriorated condition of the ceiling and floor, serving as a memory from the reformatory’s forgotten history.  

The restoration process required removing and replacing the entire floor, including subframe.  According to the restoration crew’s lead craftsman, Bill Sample, the dilapidated ceiling was extracted and repaired. In fact, the entire room was gutted, except for the walls, and restored back to the condition the room was in the day the Shawshank Redemption filming began. Even wood grain was painted in the woodwork by Jeff Bell to match the more expensive style depicted in the movie. 

The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society and countless visitors are thankful for the skilled efforts of the Ohio State Reformatory’s restoration staff in bringing this deteriorated, collapsing room back to life.