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.

From 1857 until 1869, the Coles County Poor Farm was located in Charleston Township near the small town of Loxa, Illinois.

In 1870, the county purchased 260 acres from A. N. Graham in Section 35 of Ashmore Township for a new farm, which was crossed by the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad.

"[3] 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.

"[7]Coles County retained most of the farmland, but sold the almshouse and near property to Ashmore Estates, Inc. in February 1959.

"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, The Ashmore Review.

[11] By the end of April, all of the residents had been transferred to area homes, and Ashmore Estates closed its doors.

In 1990, Paul Swinford, with Corrections Corporation of America, 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.

In 1998, Arthur Colclasure, from Sullivan, paid $12,500 for the property with intentions to renovate the building as his private home.

In August 2006, Scott Kelley and his wife purchased Ashmore Estates from Colclasure and began renovating.

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 building appeared to be damaged beyond repair.

[18] The Kelleys sold the building at auction in April 2013 for a price of $12,700 to Robert Burton & Ella Richards.

[19] 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.

Aided by volunteers, the Terrys intend to preserve the building as a historical structure and a site for paranormal investigation.