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303:-based company known as Convalescent Management Associates, Inc. to help manage the institution's finances. Because the departments of Public Aid and Public Health did not issue required licenses and certificates for nearly a year, Swinford filed for permission from the Illinois Health Facility Planning Board to close the facility. At that time, Ashmore Estates' financial losses exceeded $ 1.5 million. By the end of April, all of the residents had been transferred to area homes, and Ashmore Estates closed its doors.
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270:"It certainly did a lot of people a lot of good. They were warm and had good food on the table. And, they loved working and earning their keep. They weren’t moochers ... They mostly grew their own food, did their own butchering, and smoked the meat. They smoked their own bacon and hams in the smoke house, they killed and dressed all their own chickens, and made their own butter."
329:, based in Tennessee, tried to adapt Ashmore Estates as a mental health facility to treat teenage boys who were in the justice system. On December 18, the Ashmore Village Board unanimously rejected Swinford's request for a zoning permit. They stated concerns related to fire safety of the facility, and public opposition to the proposed use.
259:, Illinois, but he backed out of the project in late February 1916. The contract was granted to J.W. Montgomery in March for $ 20,389, and the cornerstone was laid on May 17, 1916. A full-time caretaker and his family were allowed to live in the almshouse or in a white farmhouse that used to be on the property.
279:
Coles County retained most of the farmland, but sold the almshouse and near property to
Ashmore Estates, Inc. in February 1959. That corporation opened the building as a private psychiatric hospital by the same name. In October 1964, after five years in operation, the psychiatric hospital closed down
251:
By 1911, however, the
Auxiliary Committee of the State Board of Charities condemned the almshouse for its "vermin infected walls", "rough floors", "small windows", and improper ventilation. It was reported that "flies swarmed everywhere" and "were especially noticeable on the poor food prepared for
332:
On
Halloween night in 1995, a fire destroyed an outbuilding that was across the lawn from the front entrance of the main building. This was the site of the former house of the poor farm superintendent. The outbuilding had been used to teach motor skills to the developmentally disabled prior to the
287:
Paul
Swinford (no relation to Mary Swinford) and Galen Martinie purchased the institution in July 1976. The two originally envisioned building a new, one-floor residence, to house up to 100 patients, but the state planning committee refused to approve that plan. Swinford and Martinie invested more
243:
As inmates sometimes died at the farm, the county maintained a small cemetery for their burials north of the grounds. In 1879, Joshua
Ricketts, superintendent of the county farm, recorded a total of 32 deaths among the estimated 250 inmates who had stayed at the farm between 1870 and 1879. Another
280:
because of debt. The institution re-opened in 1965, but changed its focus from a private facility to one that accepted patients from state mental institutions. These were trying to break up the large asylums of the time. By 1968, the shelter care facility housed 49 residents, including 10 who had
247:
The Board of State
Commissioners of Public Charities visited the poor farm in 1902 to assess the facility. "The heating is by stove and is sufficient", they reported. "There is no regular system of ventilation, but plenty of fresh air is easily obtained. There is no plumbing ... There is no fire
365:
In
January 2013, the Ashmore area was hit by a fierce storm, with windspeeds reaching 80 to 100 mph. Ashmore Estates suffered considerable damage; its roof was blown off and the support gables were destroyed. Director Dan Ensign of the Coles County Emergency Management Agency said that the
348:
In August 2006, Scott Kelley and his wife purchased
Ashmore Estates from Colclasure and began renovating. According to Kelley: "The building was a wreck ... it took seven weeks of 40 hours a week to clean it out ... the windows were mostly broken." To finance the project, the Kelleys offered
190:
That year, the building and related grounds were purchased (and named) by
Ashmore Estates, Inc. for use as a private care facility for people with mental and other disabilities. Ashmore Estates closed in 1986 because of financial difficulties in a changing health care environment.
352:
The
Kelleys opened their commercial haunted house on October 13, 2006. In the off-season, Scott offered overnight stays in the building, under a program called a "Night of Insanity". He featured speakers, movies, and guests such as psychic medium Cari Stone from
235:
for a new farm, which was crossed by the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad. A small timber and brick building, constructed by H. B. Truman, was the first on that property. It was 38 x 58 feet and two storeys tall, with an attached kitchen. The initial
252:
dinner". In January 1915, the Almshouse Committee, headed up by John Goodyear, Ivory W. Merritt Jr., E.N. Carter, W.R. Zimmerman, and William Knollenberg, received bids for the construction of a new "fireproof" building at the location.
198:. Storm damage in 2013 resulted in another change of ownership. Owners since 2014 have performed basic repairs for structural preservation, and intend to feature it as a historic structure and site for paranormal investigation.
374:
The Kelleys sold the building at auction in April 2013 for a price of $ 12,700 to Robert Burton & Ella Richards. They sold it in May 2014 for an undisclosed amount to Robbin and Norma Terry, owners of the R Theater in
771:
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On December 12, 1981, Barbara Jean Clark became director of the care facility. "We have the opportunity to be one of the best facilities of our kind in the area", she remarked in their eight page in-house organ,
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flashlight tours of the interior. Locals and self-styled paranormal investigators quickly lined up to get a look inside. To discourage trespassers, they erected signs and moved onto the property.
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379:. The Terrys replaced the roof, installed bathrooms, a shower, and a kitchenette, and made many other renovations to the building for safety and structural preservation.
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protection." As for the condition of the mentally ill at the farm, they wrote: "There is no special provision for the insane ... None are locked up or in restraint."
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than $ 200,000 to construct a modern addition to the old building and upgrade systems throughout. Construction began in 1977, but was not finished until the 1980s.
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Nancy Swinford, the daughter of Leo Roy and Lura Andrews Swinford, lived at the home for eight years during the 1940s and 1950s. In a 2009 interview with the
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340:, paid $ 12,500 for the property with intentions to renovate the building as his private home. These plans were soon abandoned due to repeated vandalism.
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404:. One story related to Ashmore Estates; it recounted residents during the Great Depression seeing a ghost of a girl who died in the first almshouse.
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pauper cemetery, established a few years later, is visible south of Route 16. It is believed to contain the graves of between 60 and 100 people.
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Aided by volunteers, the Terrys intend to preserve the building as a historical structure and a site for paranormal investigation.
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or "Overseer of the Poor" of the county farm was Oliver D. Hawkins, who had migrated in 1841 to Coles County from Kentucky.
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building appeared to be damaged beyond repair. The Kelleys' home, adjacent to the property, escaped largely unscathed.
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The structure was abandoned and vacant until 2006. Under new ownership, it was adapted and operated as a commercial
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Seventeenth Biennial Report of the Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities of the State of Illinois
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A chapter on the history, folklore, and ghost stories of Ashmore Estates was included in the book
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585:"Coles County Poor Farm: Local resident recalls memories of living there during her childhood"
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No one attempted to re-open the institution for three years. In 1990, Paul Swinford, with
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231:, Illinois. In 1870, the county purchased 260 acres from A. N. Graham in Section 35 of
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473:; the previous and current owners shared new experiences and updates on the building.
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296:. It included patients who were developmentally disabled, and training was planned.
400:
In 2004, Michael Kleen published a collection of short historical fiction called
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764:"Ashmore, Westfield hit hard by Tuesday night storm; warming centers opened"
397:, on how to make Ashmore Estates into a "highly illegal" Halloween escapade.
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In February 1986, Paul Swinford entered into a limited partnership with a
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The building contract for the new almshouse was awarded to S.C. Sailor of
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In December 2022, the estate was featured on the season 4 episode of the
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In 1997 Mike Rice and Matt Fear wrote a satirical piece, published in
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877:"TV team uses technology to root out spirits at Ashmore Estates"
741:"Ashmore Estates gears up for a haunting good time Friday night"
451:
900:"Documentary producers make return visit to Ashmore Estates"
813:"Ashmore Estates building sold at auction for $ 12,700"
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In September 2011, Ashmore Estates was featured on the
514:"County still responsible for 'Poor Farm' cemetery"
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1045:Buildings and structures in Coles County, Illinois
467:Ashmore Estates was featured again in season 3 of
923:"Three Coles County legends are detailed in book"
844:"Student author gets creative with Coles history"
811:Fopay, Dave; Bilharz, Samantha (30 April 2013).
850:. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010.
1060:Tourist attractions in Coles County, Illinois
450:In February 2013, it was investigated by the
8:
714:. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011.
945:"Aftershocks | Ghost Adventures Crew"
537:. Springfield: Phillips Bros. 1902. p. 72.
18:
1050:Colonial Revival architecture in Illinois
787:"Ashmore Estates – A Real Haunted House?"
1065:Reportedly haunted locations in Illinois
688:
686:
492:
219:From 1857 until 1869, the Coles County
1040:Commercial buildings completed in 1916
996:. Rockford: Black Oak Press, Illinois.
853:
774:from the original on 27 February 2013.
717:
1001:The History of Coles County, Illinois
933:from the original on 7 February 2013.
501:The History of Coles County, Illinois
415:, producers of documentaries such as
176:. It was built in 1916 as the second
7:
785:Churchill, Vince (30 October 2015).
632:. Ashmore Estates. 30 December 1981.
215:First Coles County Almshouse, c.1890
187:. This complex operated until 1959.
1021:at the Legends and Lore of Illinois
921:Heldebrandt, Beth (26 April 2010).
266:, Swinford said of the Poor Farm:
16:Building in Illinois, United States
842:Giffith, Laura (28 October 2005).
751:from the original on 10 July 2012.
706:Kenealey, Kevin (18 August 2006).
595:from the original on 13 July 2012.
524:from the original on 14 July 2012.
423:(2007), filmed at Ashmore Estates.
327:Corrections Corporation of America
14:
1025:Illinois Poorhouses: Coles County
910:from the original on 9 July 2012.
887:from the original on 9 July 2012.
583:Clark, Bonnie (19 October 2009).
336:In 1998, Arthur Colclasure, from
875:West, Nathaniel (20 July 2008).
762:Stroud, Rob (January 30, 2013).
708:"Haunted house history revealed"
33:Ashmore Estates Exterior, c.2002
27:
1055:Haunted attractions (simulated)
994:Tales of Coles County, Illinois
898:Stroud, Rob (30 October 2009).
656:(Charleston). 19 December 1990.
503:. Chicago: W. Le Baron. p. 600.
402:Tales of Coles County, Illinois
164:is a historic building outside
121:
999:Perrin, William Henry (1879).
832:(Charleston). 31 October 1997.
668:(Charleston). 2 November 1995.
561:(Charleston). 11 January 1915.
499:Perrin, William Henry (1879).
1:
927:Journal Gazette/Times-Courier
904:Journal Gazette/Times-Courier
881:Journal Gazette/Times-Courier
768:Journal Gazette/Times-Courier
745:Journal Gazette/Times-Courier
608:(Charleston). 17 August 1968.
589:Journal Gazette/Times-Courier
549:(Charleston). 12 August 1911.
518:Journal Gazette/Times-Courier
470:Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks
464:called "Permanent Residents".
386:Representation in other media
316:
180:on the property, part of the
644:(Charleston). 14 April 1987.
333:facility's closure in 1987.
739:Stroud, Rob (6 June 2007).
680:(Charleston). 29 July 1998.
573:(Charleston). 1 March 1916.
307:Abandonment and controversy
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620:(Charleston). 11 May 1979.
989:. Atglen: Schiffer Books.
860:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
724:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
696:. Atglen: Schiffer Books.
38:
26:
1014:Ashmore Estates website
1003:. Chicago: W. Le Baron.
992:Kleen, Michael (2010).
985:Kleen, Michael (2010).
692:Kleen, Michael (2010).
409:Christopher Saint Booth
407:In the summer of 2008,
227:near the small town of
139:Design and construction
394:The Daily Eastern News
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216:
207:Coles County Poor Farm
421:Children of the Grave
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115:Construction started
987:Paranormal Illinois
694:Paranormal Illinois
428:Paranormal Illinois
413:Philip Adrian Booth
355:The Cari Stone Show
225:Charleston Township
99:39.5290°N 88.0498°W
95: /
48:Architectural style
43:General information
848:Daily Eastern News
830:Daily Eastern News
712:Daily Eastern News
630:The Ashmore Review
323:
294:The Ashmore Review
217:
970:"Ashmore Estates"
435:season 5 premiere
370:Ownership changes
315:Ashmore Estates,
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126:September 1, 1916
104:39.5290; -88.0498
60:Ashmore, Illinois
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481:Destination Fear
478:Travel Channel's
462:season 9 episode
440:Ghost Adventures
377:Auburn, Illinois
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144:Architect(s)
118:May 17, 1916
56:Town or city
51:Neo-Georgian
419:(2006) and
320: 2006
102: /
77:Coordinates
1070:Poor farms
1034:Categories
955:2016-07-04
791:The Source
488:References
90:88°02′59″W
87:39°31′44″N
817:JG-TC.com
221:Poor Farm
185:Poor Farm
178:almshouse
123:Completed
931:Archived
908:Archived
885:Archived
856:cite web
772:Archived
749:Archived
720:cite web
593:Archived
522:Archived
338:Sullivan
282:epilepsy
170:Illinois
152:Engineer
134:$ 20,389
460:on the
443:on the
430:(2010).
417:Spooked
257:Oakwood
202:History
166:Ashmore
66:Country
796:29 May
301:Peoria
862:link
798:2018
726:link
452:SyFy
411:and
229:Loxa
131:Cost
454:'s
437:of
1036::
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858:}}
854:{{
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722:}}
718:{{
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685:^
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357:.
317:c.
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864:)
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728:)
483:.
447:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
