BACK TO BRUSHY MOUNTAIN
by CeCe Owens
The drive up to Brushy Mountain State
Penitentiary finds you wondering if the
anxious feeling in your tummy is equal
with how the hardened criminals felt
as they arrived to serve time. Originally
built of wood in 1896 and arranged in the
shape of a cross, the prison was completely
rebuilt using sandstone that was mined,
hand chiseled and laid by prisoners in the
1930s. However, what you see is a stone,
castle like fortress seemingly carved out of
the mountain. While the buildings remained
in the shape of the cross, an intentional
nod to faith based rehabilitation, Brushy
Mountain is an intimidating structure
begetting anxious feelings.
18 McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2019