Mythology of Life: Shadows

Ashmore Estates was most recently a facility for the mentally and physically disabled. Prior it was a poor farm. It was shut down in 1987 for failing many health and safety codes. In its vacancy, it has fallen prey to vandals -- broken windows, graffiti, and likely other destructive acts. I had heard of this place through a coworker, and it intrigued me. I had mentioned the eerieness of this place in a previous post. In scouring the internet for any kind of information, I found there's too much history to this building that I had to see it in person. It seemed like perfect timing to scout it out when Allie was visiting me, so off on an adventure we went.

What struck me at first was how this building seemed as if it was covered with shadow of its history, reflecting a time that has passed and people who have since left. Hidden away on a gravel road in the middle of the country, it has become an eyesore, obscured only by the overgrowth of trees and shrubs -- a kind of disguise.

Armed only with cameras, Allie and I set out to explore its depths and perhaps to figure it out. The place is in really bad shape. I entered knowing there was risk -- of being caught, of injuring myself. But when you choose to be an explorer, you have to accept those consequences. This may seem like child's play to you bolder folks out there, but trust me when I say this was a major step for me -- trespassing. Sounds so daring, doesn't it?

As I explored the halls and rooms, I made sure to test the tiles for integrity and mind the broken glass littering the floors. It's easy to see the building holds a mysterious sadness, as if has carried so many burdens and now has become the burden itself. A victim of neglect and destruction.

The few pieces of furniture brought a sense of life -- a wooden bed frame, a dresser with drawers half opened, a couch by the window. They were the remnants of the people who lived here, reflecting in their disheveled states the disorder those occupants endured in their lives.

One hallway reminded me of a scene from the movie, Session 9. Allie and I watched it after our visit and were even more frightened by the imagery because it felt so surreal -- the similarities were creepy. We agreed it was best that we saw the movie after our visit and not before.

Rumors on the internet is that Ashmore is haunted. Do I think it is haunted? That depends on what you bring to it. If you can feel the history of a place and imagine the conversations that echoed through the walls, then you have made a connection. In a way, the building inhabits you as much as you do it. If you see the building around you and what it has become, you cannot help but feel a bit of sorrow. It hits you on an emotional level, I think. As for being afraid of it or what lies inside, that is a haunt we bring with us, and one that will follow us in all the dark places we must travel. Unless I ever witness otherwise, I think the ghosts exist only in the mind.

After taking many pictures, reading the tags on the walls, and feeling generally creeped out, it felt good to be outside. Allie and I explored maybe half of the building, so there may be another time for me to see what other mysteries it has to offer. My hope is that it survives that long.

Ashmore Estates is a shadow of what it once was -- a place that sheltered those who were in need. Now it is consumed by graffiti and the earth itself, slowly being erased. I'm glad I was able to visit and preserve a piece of this place.

To read Allie's account of our trip, check out her blog post.