Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary: A Historic Landscape of Incarceration

Abstract

This thesis explores the history of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary and its role in shaping the cultural and physical landscapes of Morgan County, Tennessee. It begins with the historic prison's origins and traces its development into a twentieth century state penitentiary. Considering the impact of both historic and contemporary practices of incarceration on the region, the thesis argues that Morgan County's history of imprisonment had a profound and persisting impact on local identity. The thesis then considers the adaptive reuse of former prisons, using the current tourism redevelopment of Brushy Mountain as a case study highlighting the ways in which imprisonment continues to shape the region's legacy.