NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
The Tennessee State Building Commission will consider a proposal to spend $800,000 to hire a consultant to look at how the old Tennessee State Prison could be used.
In 1859 the Tennessee State Prison's $500,000 building was completed.
The castle looking structure was an elegant display of architecture, but inside it became famous as one of the toughest prisons in the country.
Historical documents say inmates were forced to work up to 16 hours a day and slept in unheated, unventilated sleeping quarters.
The notorious prison closed its doors in 1992 and an injunction prohibited the Tennessee Department of Correction from ever again housing inmates at the facility.
In the decade since its closing a few movies, including "The Green Mile" have been shot in the old building, however repairs and upkeep have been non-existent.
"We call it demolition by neglect, nobody's actually demolished the building, but it's been empty for so long there are all kinds of structural issues and problems that can come about from that," explained Melissa Wyllie with Historic Nashville.
Last year the group identified the prison as a threatened historical site.
Several petitions have been created to save it, and the effort seems to be working.
"It's a first step in what will hopefully be a happy ending for the property. We would hate to see that demolished or lost because of neglect," Wyllie said.
Wyllie said the group would like to see the prison eventually open as a tourist attraction. The total budget for the project is $27 million.
