The Portsmouth Naval Prison Is a Looming Castle Full of Mystery and History

Rochelle and I love Portsmouth and spend a lot of time downtown, New Castle and by the mall. Each time we did the ride over the bridge from the city to Kittery, we noticed the large castle-like structure across the water and wondered what it was.

If you didn't know or aren't from here, we did some investigating, and that is the apparently the infamous Portsmouth Naval Prison.

According to Portsmouthnh.com, it has been idle since the 1970s and too expensive to rebuild or take down.

It was once dubbed "Alcatraz of the East," according to Boston.com.

Since its demise it has been the focal point of multiple redevelopment plans, the site of a few movie shoots and a creepy destination for urban explorers, the article states.

A portion of the building is now being used for storage, Boston.com reported.

Here's hoping something new comes of it, even if it's just as a tourist attraction like, you know, Alcatraz is in San Francisco.

You can check out even more about the prison and its history here.