Ashmore Estates
Ashmore, IL · July 19–20, 2024 · 3 investigators · 2-night investigation
Executive Summary
Case Overview
Between The Worlds Paranormal Society conducted a two-night investigation of Ashmore Estates in Ashmore, Illinois during July 2024. The property — a former poorhouse and asylum with a documented history of institutional suffering — presented a dense and consistent pattern of environmental anomalies that our team had not encountered at any previous location.
The investigation produced three primary categories of anomalous evidence: significant and repeatable compass deviations across the main building's upper floor, persistent atmospheric pressure differentials in the former ward corridor that could not be attributed to structural factors, and multiple corroborated witness accounts of auditory phenomena during the second night's active session.
The case is classified as Documented. The environmental anomalies are consistent and repeatable, and the witness accounts have been independently corroborated. A return visit with expanded instrumentation is being planned for autumn 2024 to pursue the compass deviation pattern with a magnetometer array.
Location Profile
Ashmore Estates
Ashmore Estates was constructed in 1916 as the Coles County Poor Farm, housing the county's indigent, mentally ill, and elderly residents. The facility operated under conditions that would today be considered inhumane — overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and a near-total absence of patient rights. Dozens of residents died on the property and were buried in an unmarked cemetery on the grounds.
The building was later converted to a private psychiatric facility before falling into disuse. It has since been acquired and opened for paranormal investigation. The grounds retain the original cemetery, several outbuildings, and the main three-storey brick structure, which remains largely intact.
Location Data
Field Log
Two-Night Timeline
Night One
July 19, 2024
Baseline & Orientation
Full instrument deployment across all three floors and the surrounding grounds. EMF, temperature, and barometric baselines logged for every accessible room. Compass calibration checks conducted at ten-metre intervals throughout the main building. First compass deviation detected at 11:42 PM on the upper ward corridor — a consistent 12° deflection that persisted for the remainder of the night.
Night Two
July 20, 2024
Active Investigation
Two-team deployment — one in the upper ward, one in the former intake area. At 1:08 AM, all three investigators independently reported hearing a low, rhythmic knocking from the sealed east wing. No structural cause identified. Atmospheric pressure differential in the ward corridor measured at 2.3 hPa above ambient — consistent with Night One readings. Session concluded at 4:30 AM.
Evidence Log
Documented Anomalies
All evidence items below were captured during the July 2024 investigation. Audio evidence from Night Two is restricted to verified members in the Evidence Vault.
Compass Deviation — Upper Ward Corridor
Consistent 12° compass deflection across a 6-metre section of the upper ward corridor. Repeated on both nights with three independent compasses and a digital magnetometer. No ferrous structural elements identified in the affected area.
Atmospheric Pressure Differential — Ward Corridor
2.3 hPa pressure differential above ambient recorded in the ward corridor on both nights. The differential was localised to a 4-metre section and did not correspond to any ventilation opening or structural gap identified during the daytime survey.
Auditory Phenomena — East Wing
Low rhythmic knocking reported independently by all three investigators at 1:08 AM on Night Two. Audio recorders captured an anomalous low-frequency sound in the 40–60 Hz range during the same window. No structural or environmental cause identified.
Temperature Anomaly — Former Intake Room
Persistent 9°F cold spot in the south-east corner of the former intake room. Consistent across both nights. Thermal imaging confirmed the anomaly is not attributable to the exterior wall or window frame.
Audio evidence restricted
The Night Two audio recording capturing the low-frequency anomaly in the east wing is available in the Evidence Vault for verified members only. Associate Hunters and Research Fellows may access the full audio file and frequency analysis.
Field Team
Investigators on Record
Lead Investigator
Katy Bacon
EMF & Instrumentation
Dave Sparks
Field Investigator
John Mercer
Investigator's Notes
Conclusions & Next Steps
Ashmore Estates is one of the most instrumentally active locations we have investigated. The compass deviation pattern is the most consistent and repeatable anomaly we have documented to date — it was present on both nights, in the same location, with multiple independent instruments. That alone warrants a return visit with a full magnetometer array.
The atmospheric pressure differential and the Night Two auditory phenomena add weight to the case, but neither is conclusive in isolation. The case is classified as Documented rather than Inconclusive because the environmental anomalies are real, measurable, and repeatable — we simply do not yet have an explanation for them. The case file remains open.
— Katy Bacon, Lead Investigator
01
Magnetometer Array
Return visit planned with 6-point magnetometer array to map the full extent of the compass deviation field.
02
Audio Analysis
Night Two low-frequency recording submitted for spectral analysis and source identification.
03
Structural Survey
Structural engineer engaged to assess the east wing and rule out building movement as a source of the auditory anomaly.