World renowned as home to the infamous murders of Andrew and Abby Borden during the late 1800’s , the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts has drawn crowds from all over the planet for the past 117 years. After the murders, the city of Fall River had turned the Borden home into a historic landmark. Today, the home has been turned into a bed and breakfast, which offers tours of the infamous murder scene.
The Borden House was built in 1845 as originally a two family home, but later Andrew Borden purchased the house and turned it into a one family. He chose this location because it was near where he did all his banking and dealings with various businesses in the area. It was recalled that Andrew was not a favorite among those who lived in Fall River for various reasons.
On the morning of August 4, 1892, the Borden family fell onto tragedy when Abby was stuck in the head 19 times by what looked like a hatchet or an ax, a few hours later Andrew received 11 strikes to the head with the same blunt instrument. When they were discovered, Mr. Borden was almost unrecognizable while Mrs. Borden was close to being decapitated. The suspect was none other than Lizzy Borden, Andrew’s youngest child. She was tried and acquitted in court for the murders.
Many have stated that Lizzie despised her stepmother and showed jealousy toward her wealthy father. She and her older sister thought that when their father passed, that his wealth would end up in the hands of their step siblings instead of to them. A niece of Abby Borden had stated that Lizzie had killer her stepmother’s cat, because she was angry that it was bothering her while she was entertaining guests. Others have described her as a very unstable woman who could be the sweet “good daughter” to Mr. Borden by tucking him onto his lounge for a nap. However, when angry, she would say spiteful things about him behind his back, and not speak to him for days.
From then, the Borden house was a private residence until 1996, when the residence became a bed and breakfast that hosted daily tours. Many people from all over the world come to witness the haunted murder scene. Many of the guests have witnessed several ghostly sightings since the home was turned into a business. Some of the activity has been an occasional sighting of Lizzie herself, Andrew Borden walking up and down the stairs, and a woman softly weeping throughout the night. Others have experienced shoes moving across the floor, and some have seen an older woman wearing a traditional dress, who will tuck them in at night.
Some have witnessed video equipment suddenly turn on and off on its own, lights flickering, cameras working on their own when nobody is there to run them, and when people want to use them, the cameras fail to take pictures. You will also find Abby and Andrew roaming the final whereabouts where they had left this earth.
The Borden House is not only about the murder mystery that has intrigued Americans for over a century, but it also carries a large piece of American history that cannot be replaced. Just remember that Lizzie Borden waits for you to experience a unique visit to her former home.
