His invoice preserved in county records includes an unusual item, reinforcement of basement ceiling beams and installation of specialized drainage system as per Miss Blackwood's specifications. The invoice was significantly higher than typical renovation costs of the period, suggesting extensive modifications beyond standard boarding house requirements. Winters later commented to his apprentice Timothy Hayes about the unusual nature of the basement work.
Hayes, interviewed by Professor Whitaker in 1954, recalled, "Mr. Winters said it was the strangest job he'd ever done. Miss Margaret had very specific requirements: a drain in the floor connected directly to the river, hooks in the ceiling beams capable of supporting substantial weight, and copper sheeting along one section of wall. He didn't ask questions because the pay was good, but he never felt right about it."
Hayes added that Winters had described special equipment brought in from Baltimore, including a large cast-iron table with channels leading toward a central drain. It took four men to move it into the basement. Margaret described it as laundry equipment, but Winters told Hayes he had never seen a laundry table built that way. He said the arrangement reminded him more of equipment he had encountered while renovating the Shepard family's butcher shop in Charles Town. By May 1892, the Blackwood House was open for business. An advertisement in the Baltimore Sun described it as a superior establishment offering clean, comfortable rooms and home-cooked meals of exceptional quality, conveniently located within walking distance of the Harper's Ferry train station, weekly and monthly rates available for extended stays.
Similar advertisements appeared in newspapers in Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Richmond, suggesting the sisters were casting a wide net for potential guests. The emphasis in all advertisements was consistent. Exceptional accommodations, superior dining, and the personal attention of the proprietors. One notice in the Philadelphia Inquirer specifically mentioned that the house was "particularly well suited for gentlemen traveling on business who appreciate fine cuisine and attentive service in a homelike setting." The business appeared to thrive immediately. Tax records show a significant increase in the sisters' income during the first year of operation.
What's curious, however, is that this financial success came despite relatively few entries in the guest register. According to Professor Whitaker's notes, the register showed an average occupancy rate of only 30 percent, far too low to account for the reported income. The discrepancy might be explained by an entry in Margaret Blackwood's private ledger discovered among the materials sealed in 1968. A notation from September 1892 reads, "Have determined that official registration of all guests creates unnecessary documentation. Those selected for special hospitality will be recorded in this private ledger only.
This arrangement should minimize complications should inquiries arise." Local merchants began to notice the sisters' purchasing patterns almost immediately. Thomas Wilson's grandfather, who owned the general store on High Street, kept meticulous records of the sisters' orders. His ledger shows regular purchases of unusual items in bulk quantities, specialized knives, multiple sets of fine bone china that were regularly replaced in uncharacteristically large amounts of certain spices, particularly those known to mask other flavors. Wilson shared his grandfather's observations with Professor Whitaker. Granddad said the Blackwood sisters bought more preserving salt than any family he'd ever seen, even those who were putting up meat for the winter, and they bought it year round, not just during butchering season.
When he asked Miss Margaret about it once, she just smiled and said they had special preservation needs for their kitchen. The hardware store owned by the Jenkins family supplied another piece of the puzzle. Their sales records show the sisters purchased unusual quantities of locks, chains, and heavy-duty restraints of the type typically used for securing livestock. When questioned, they explained these items were necessary for securing the basement storage room, where they kept their valuable supplies and family heirlooms. The first documented disappearance connected to the Blackwood House occurred in February 1893, approximately nine months after the boarding house opened.
Howard Phillips, a timber merchant from Baltimore, arrived on February 14th for what was intended to be a three-night stay while he negotiated purchasing rights to a tract of forest in the nearby Blue Ridge. According to the guest register, he checked out on February 17th, having paid his bill in full. Phillips's family, however, reported him missing when he failed to return to Baltimore.
A telegraph sent to Sheriff Harlow on February 20th asked for any information regarding Phillips's whereabouts. Harlow's reply preserved in Baltimore police archives stated simply, "Mr. Phillips departed Harper's Ferry by morning train on February 17th." According to boarding house proprietors, no further information available.
What makes this case particularly interesting is a notation found in Margaret Blackwood's private ledger discovered by Professor Whitaker among the materials sealed in 1968. The entry for February 17th reads, "Mr. P settled his account in full. Personal effects of adequate quality. Ruth particularly pleased with the watch fob. Eleanor has claimed the leather satchel for conversion to household use.
A more disturbing entry follows on February 18th. Ruth's special preparation. Most successful. Guests at dinner commented specifically on the tenderness of the roast. Eleanor's new preservation technique appears effective.
No detectable odor or discoloration. We'll continue with this method for future special preparations." The banking records for the Blackwood House show a deposit of $243.75 on February 18th, significantly more than the standard room and board rate would have generated from a single guest's three-night stay. This pattern of unexplained financial windfalls following guest disappearances would continue throughout the boarding house's operation. A similar pattern emerged with the disappearance of Edward Cartwright, a land speculator from Philadelphia in June 1893. Cartwright arrived on June 10th and was recorded as having departed on June 13th.
His family reported him missing on June 20th after he failed to return home and missed several important business appointments. Sheriff Harlow's investigation consisted of a brief visit to the Blackwood House where he accepted his cousin's explanation that Mr. Cartwright had mentioned plans to visit properties in the Shenandoah Valley before returning to Philadelphia. No further inquiry was made despite Cartwright's horse and carriage remaining unclaimed at the local livery stable for several weeks.
Margaret's ledger entry for June 13th notes, "Mr. C. Account settled. Gold pocket watch of superior quality. Eleanor finds his walking stick useful for reaching high shelves. Ruth pleased with the quality of his boots, though too large for any of us."