Ashmore Estates
Ashmore Estates
"Some call it home"
What's in store for AE in 2022
It looks like 2020 & 2021 snuck by before we could even do anything with them. I think we all might have that feeling as with Covid nobody knew what we would, could, or should be doing anyway.
For 2022 we will be working on wiring the building for camera use by those hooking up static cameras. It's been a slow process as there are almost 1000 wires to connect. The big project for 2022 is building a house at the property. This will give a person helping with the building the opportunity to live on premises to watch the building as well as others that might help or guests to stay in a separate area set up just for that purpose. If you are interested in helping with the build come on out and do so. Message Robbin Terry or email info@ashmoreestates.net and he can let you know when they are working on the property and what they will be doing. Sounds like a short list but it's a big project and we are hoping to get the bulk of it done by August.
What's in store for AE in 2019
2018 was a tough year for me as I spent a considerable amount of time at Roads Hotel helping the restoration and construction there. It was a 4 hour drive to get things done rather than the normal 2 hour drive I have to AE. We did manage to enlarge our viewing area on the 2nd floor by removing a large wall. We now have an open viewing area for about. One of the biggest projects done in 2018 was repairing the brick at the back of the building and then over the front door. This could not have been done without the expertise of Nathan Lankster & his wife Heather. After a minor setback on the back of the building we were able to help Nathan get the brick laid. On the front of the building he actually did the entire thing before I could get back from an event. Both look great!!!!!
Well hopefully in 2019 I can finish some of he 2018 projects and continue to make AE one of the best equipped places for paranormal investigators. The major project I will be working on over there this winter will be a transformation on our current staff/souvenir room to basically a staff room and the souvenir items will be moved across the hall to the former janitor/elevator room. This will make it easier on our staff when the bunkhouses are all being used by our guests. I also need to streamline the camera wiring system in the building. I have some ideas on this just have to put them in place. I am also planning on bringing cameras over to AE so people can set up a video station even if they do not own one of their own.
Moving in some additional furniture is something else that I am hoping to do in 2019. I have found that putting more furniture items really helps the sound in the building. If anyone reading this has some older 1930-1950's style furniture let me know we might be interested in it. Cleaning up and improving the condition of the building and grounds is the main goal in 2019. The building has come along way with the help of others so we want to be sure to keep it in a proud condition.
What's in store for AE in 2018
I always like to look back as to what I wrote at the end of the previous year to see if I accomplished my goals and in most cases I have. The hospital rooms I wanted to construct have been done and are pretty much finished. I need to do some finish work such as get the beds I found to put in there in place and then do some decorating in the rooms. The tile floor was a huge addition in there and thank you to my son for donating the tiles from Carpetland in Racine, WI. Also thanks to Johnny & Elbie for helping me put these down. We did install a sound system in the building that seems to work perfect and have had some teams use it to try and "motivate" spirits into speaking to them. Not sure if it worked as I have not heard of the experiences.
So what am I going to do in 2018. I am finally going to do something I have wanted to do but did not have the resources to get it done. We are taking out the small wall on the 2nd floor new part of the building. The reason to do this is it will give us more seating capacity when we host events in the building. It is always nice to have one large room for a speaker and I think this will give us seating for 100+. It isn't going to be cheap but I think it may be worth it at times. I am also planning on updating our wiring system with the help of Scott Baker from Baker Technology. We want to get the wires out from hanging down in the room and have them more of a plug and play on the wall to make it easier for teams as well. I am also planning on putting in a camera system for teams to use as they wish. They will be able to download their investigation or the clips that are caught and take them with them. I have talked with Shawn Porter from Ghost Stop about using his 3D printer to make some camera mounts for me to attach to tripods so they can easily be moved around the building where desired.
I do have one major project I want to do outside and that is take down most of the bricks on the back of the small addition to the building and then put them back up. I have someone that has agreed to show me the way on this so once the weather breaks this will probably be the first priority. It should clean the back of the building up some. I do have to start putting together the plan for next year with doing some tuck pointing which the building needs from all the years of neglect.
We will continue to do charity events with again leaning towards Lost Limbs Foundation as we have been working with them for a few years now on things. If your team is looking for a 501(c)(3) Not For Profit Corporation to work with I would strongly suggest you hit Mike up as he can use the help.
Well it sounds like a lazy year but anyone that really knows me knows that won't happen. That is about all I can think of at this point that we will be doing to improve the property, other than our normal maintenance.
What's in store for AE in 2017
One of the big accomplishments would have to be the room that was finished by the West porch. We tried to go back in time with this some and I think anyone that has visited this will agree it looks retro. We have 50's bedroom set and 60's in the living room area. One other huge stride was adding the third bunkhouse to the property. This is right next to the other two only about twice as big. Like the other two it is furnished with four beds, TV, DVD player, heat and air conditioning. This one also has a pull out couch, recliner, stuffed chair, and the TV is a 50" wall mount smart TV. So if you have a friend or relative that really does not want to investigate this is probably for them. Some additional updates to the building included the metal wrap around the roof to further protect it from the elements and water damage inside.
As for 2017 I have plans to start in January constructing what would resemble one of the hospital rooms from the 70's on the property. We will be doing this on the third floor and my friends from Riverbend Paranormal have agreed to help. We will be moving the hospital bed in there and see if the energy in this area changes.
Two great additions, well not so much as additions but opportunities for AE are that Michele Watson-Baker and her sister Hannah Watson-Reano will be hosting most of the tours and investigations. Michele knows the history like nobody I have ever had help there and Hannah, her sister, has had that rub off on her. For those investigating with us in 2017 you are going to really enjoy these two girls and how much they appreciate Ashmore Estates.
One thing you will notice on our calendar is on the third Saturday of each month starting in April we will have a team come in and host a Paranormal 101 class. Each month will be different as the group will be different and putting there own twist on the presentation. After this we will be investigating the building with the team and they will have some of their equipment with them to show you how it works as well. If you are an experienced investigator you will have a great time as well as the newbies always make things interesting. Bonus side of this is we will only sell 20 tickets and after the first 10 tickets are sold the next tickets all go to help Lost Limbs Foundation.
One thing I have considered for quite some time was hooking up a sound system inside the building. This would be beneficial at our events, during our work days, and for teams to investigate, if they choose to use it. Many times spirits in a building will react differently if music is being played and this will make a wonderful trigger object for those wanting to use it. My biggest concern has been people thinking we were faking things since we have the sound system in the building so I will put the amp that is used for it in our team room where all can see it and know when it is actually on. We will not turn it on during investigations unless a team wants to use it. There will be 2 speakers on each floor as well as 2 in front of the building and 2 on the back side of the building.
We will have some events this year as well so be sure to watch the calendar and Facebook pages for more exciting news there. If you have any questions or suggestions about AE please send them to us at info@hauntedashmoreestates.net.
What's in store for AE in 2016
About a year ago we did the same thing for 2015 and for those that have been to the building I think you will see we accomplished our goal and maybe a little more.
With 2016 here we have to look at what we can now do to better enhance your visit to Ashmore Estates. We don't have a lot of major renovation to contend with, at least so far, but would like to do a few new things. One thing that has already been started is to finish a living room and bedroom combination off the West porch inside the original structure. We will be placing typical period type furniture in there and add heat and AC. This will give us a chance to really show the spirits of the building we want to welcome them. We were asked are we doing a bed and breakfast, no that is not the plan at all. We just want to do something to once again improve the building.
Another idea for 2016 is to finish the hospital room that is still close to being intact. We would do this in a manner that would resemble what the room possibly looked like back during a hospital stay by a patient. We will also be expanding our team room area and moving the staff room to the old laundry area that nobody seems to investigate anyway.
The biggest project I suppose for the year would be to try to cover and protect the building where the bricks fell during the initial tornado. I have thought about taking the brown metal we used for the kitchen and porch roofs and placing this on the building to cover the area up. With the assistance of the bucket truck this should be a possibility. It'll take a little help to accomplish but I think we can get it done.
We will continue adding things to make the inside more paranormal friendly including additional puck lights from GhostStop as we have found these to be some of the best in the field. We will be adding more lighting in some of the darker areas as well as tearing out old plaster (that has been crumbling) and drywall from the hospital that is no longer needed.
If you visited Ashmore Estates in 2015 and have any recommendations please let me know. We have taken some of these and actually implemented them already. We are always willing to listen but that water slide and Jacuzzi may have to go on the back burner for a little longer.
Feel free to contact us at info@hauntedashmoreestates.net
What's in store for AE in 2015
What's in store for AE in 2015
In April of 2014 Robbin Terry made a trip with his wife and a photographer friend to visit Ashmore Estates. The reason for the trip was to look over the place and see if there was a real reason to purchase it. He took a photographer to allow him to concentrate on the building and then he could review photos of the place at a later date if he had any questions. What he found when opening the door to the location is a dark location that was in desperate need of a transformation. The windows were broke, glass was on the floors, boards, walls from the haunted attraction were everywhere and basically it was a place that most would just say "why am I here". Instead of turning around and walking out the door he decided to take a walk through the place with only a flashlight as there was no power in the building and just see how bad things really were. While making his way through the cluttered halls he had a feeling that people were reaching out to him in desperation. Not because they didn't want to be there but because they wanted help for their building, that's right their building. After spending a couple of hours at the location they started their two hour trip back home. While in his truck they talked about the location and finally his wife said you should buy it. After getting home he talked with a local psychic friend and told him of his experience in walking the halls. He was told that some of the spirits of the "R" Theater, which he owns, were with him and probably told the AE spirits, "you should see what he's done to our place". In May of 2014 the building was purchased and closed on.
After closing on the property he decided to get to work, but of course after making a post on Facebook his phone almost blew up from calls, texts, and posts. The help started coming out and it was beyond amazing. The original plan was to start working on cleaning the inside of the structure and then get a roof, which blew off a couple of years before, on the place to prevent it from further damage. The projected date to get it on and start investigations at the building was September 1st. There was no power in the building so things were ran off of generators. In the next couple of weeks in May he had limited power in the building but enough to light up the place and use tools. On June 1st the roof was on the building and investigations were started. He then was hoping to get a few windows in the building on the South side to allow light in. More help came and the windows were started and by the end of November all window openings were replaced or on the first floor closed off. A heated team room has been built, equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot and plenty of electrical for chargers.
So what is in store for AE in 2015? Well things are already in motion. Additional power was added to the building and there were two bunk houses built over the winter & spring. They are equipped with 4 beds each, electrical, heat, lights, window, ceiling fan, and AC. There is a $50, per unit, charge to use these and that will give you 5 hours extended time the next day to tear down equipment as well. We have installed the 360 Puck Light System on three large areas. This will give great IR visibility. The porch roofs that were destroyed by the fallen roof a couple of years ago have been rebuilt and be available for use by teams. We have added a stove, full size fridge, hot water, sink, two additional bathrooms, and soon to add a shower. There is a lot planned and he has had a tremendous amount of help of the building and grounds. The hope is you share the same love and affection for Ashmore Estates and will make your plans to investigate, take a tour, or come out and help during one of our work days.
Like our T-Shirts say "Some Call it Home" and we need to take care of their home for them.
You can contact AE at info@ashmoreestates.net
In April of 2014 Robbin Terry made a trip with his wife and a photographer friend to visit Ashmore Estates. The reason for the trip was to look over the place and see if there was a real reason to purchase it. He took a photographer to allow him to concentrate on the building and then he could review photos of the place at a later date if he had any questions. What he found when opening the door to the location is a dark location that was in desperate need of a transformation. The windows were broke, glass was on the floors, boards, walls from the haunted attraction were everywhere and basically it was a place that most would just say "why am I here". Instead of turning around and walking out the door he decided to take a walk through the place with only a flashlight as there was no power in the building and just see how bad things really were. While making his way through the cluttered halls he had a feeling that people were reaching out to him in desperation. Not because they didn't want to be there but because they wanted help for their building, that's right their building. After spending a couple of hours at the location they started their two hour trip back home. While in his truck they talked about the location and finally his wife said you should buy it. After getting home he talked with a local psychic friend and told him of his experience in walking the halls. He was told that some of the spirits of the "R" Theater, which he owns, were with him and probably told the AE spirits, "you should see what he's done to our place". In May of 2014 the building was purchased and closed on.
After closing on the property he decided to get to work, but of course after making a post on Facebook his phone almost blew up from calls, texts, and posts. The help started coming out and it was beyond amazing. The original plan was to start working on cleaning the inside of the structure and then get a roof, which blew off a couple of years before, on the place to prevent it from further damage. The projected date to get it on and start investigations at the building was September 1st. There was no power in the building so things were ran off of generators. In the next couple of weeks in May he had limited power in the building but enough to light up the place and use tools. On June 1st the roof was on the building and investigations were started. He then was hoping to get a few windows in the building on the South side to allow light in. More help came and the windows were started and by the end of November all window openings were replaced or on the first floor closed off. A heated team room has been built, equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot and plenty of electrical for chargers.
So what is in store for AE in 2015? Well things are already in motion. Additional power was added to the building and there were two bunk houses built over the winter & spring. They are equipped with 4 beds each, electrical, heat, lights, window, ceiling fan, and AC. There is a $50, per unit, charge to use these and that will give you 5 hours extended time the next day to tear down equipment as well. We have installed the 360 Puck Light System on three large areas. This will give great IR visibility. The porch roofs that were destroyed by the fallen roof a couple of years ago have been rebuilt and be available for use by teams. We have added a stove, full size fridge, hot water, sink, two additional bathrooms, and soon to add a shower. There is a lot planned and he has had a tremendous amount of help of the building and grounds. The hope is you share the same love and affection for Ashmore Estates and will make your plans to investigate, take a tour, or come out and help during one of our work days.
Like our T-Shirts say "Some Call it Home" and we need to take care of their home for them.
You can contact AE at info@ashmoreestates.net