Kentucky State Office Building

The Kentucky State Office Building in Frankfort was built over a period of several years, from 1937 to 1940.  Prior to its construction, the land it sits on was home to the original Kentucky State Prison.

The first Kentucky State Penitentiary was built in 1798 and the following year a branch was built in Eddyville.  By 1912, the Eddyville branch became the main penitentiary, while the facility in Frankfort was renamed the Kentucky State Reformatory.  As the name suggests, the Reformatory was supposed to have started handling younger, less violent offenders, but due to overcrowding issues at all the facilities, it continued to house prisoners of all ages and levels.

That overcrowding, in addition to severe flood damage in the mid-1930s, led to a major restructuring of Kentucky’s penal system.  A new reformatory was built at another location, and the heavily damaged, outdated building at Frankfort was torn down to make room for a new office complex.

Those working in the office building today believe that the souls of the Kentucky State Penitentiary/Reformatory  are still on the property…causing mischief throughout the building.  Many employees refuse to work in the building after hours due to all the strange things experienced over the years.  People have been touched.  They’ve heard voices and footsteps and seen shadows.  One ghost in particular likes to run the copy machine in an empty room, and another likes to rustle the paperwork in one of the cubicles.  Another witness reported seeing a man step into the elevator, but when he walked up to the elevator right as the door was closing, he could clearly see it was empty.  When he pushed the button, the elevator popped back open immediately, confirming that no one was inside.

During a period of time between 2005 and 2007, the building underwent extensive renovations, which seemed to have stirred up the activity.  Construction workers reported being grabbed by unseen hands, and at least one person claims to have been shoved down the stairs by someone who wasn’t there.  The building opened back up in 2007, still housing various departments of state government, and….still housing a few ghosts as well.

Joint Investigation Data from SIGH and iGHOST
Personal Experience from Your Ghost Stories
The Haunted State Office Building
Kentucky State Reformatory History
Historic Photos