Dr. Jonathan Blackford came to Applewood Asylum in January of 1844. There the young upstart worked, earning fame and prestige for his findings in the mental health field. When the head of the hospital, Dr. Haloran, died in August of 1845, it was decided by the Board of Trustees that the young (and respected) Blackford would be the perfect choice as his successor, even changing the name of the asylum. Dr. Blackford built a large house on the hospital grounds. Not long after he and his family moved into their beautiful new home, strange things began happening at the Blackford Asylum. Patient “uprisings” plagued the hospital. Many families, concerned for their loved ones, withdrew them from the asylum's care. The tragedy culminated in November of 1846 when two inmates escaped and murdered a local woman. Authorities were quick to shut down the now decaying hospital and revoke the good doctor's license, leaving Blackford destitute.

The doctor and his family quietly slipped into obscurity, seldom leaving the manor. When Dr. Blackford died in February of 1853, his wife Sarah and daughter Lillian continued on in the house, which fell into neglect. After her mother's death in 1860, Lillian inherited the manor which was now rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of her parents as well as a few of the more colorful patients who had stayed in the asylum over the years. Blackford Manor was condemned shortly after Lillian's death in 1893 and has remained uninhabited to this day.

In 1962, a team of six paranormal experts stayed the night in the house to record the psychic phenomenon said to occur there. Only one man returned, so badly traumatized by the experience that he was unable to speak. Local police investigated, finding no trace of the man's former colleagues. The event was quickly hushed and soon forgotten; a full-time caretaker was employed to watch over the grounds and no one has entered Blackford Manor since. Until now...