If the house isn't haunted, it should be. Granted, there are many places where more murders occurred - such as the dwellings of the late and unlamented John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer - but the Borden house is one that has gone down in history for the crimes committed there.
In the 19th century, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts was the center of the U.S. textile industry. The city was also known for the production of iron, twine, thread, and looms. Towards the end of the century, however, the city became infamous for a shocking double murder.
On August 4, 1892, leading citizens Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death with a hatchet. Abby was murdered first, struck down as she changed the sheets in the guest bedroom. Andrew was murdered while sleeping on a couch downstairs.
Andrew's 32-year-old daughter, Lizzie, and the maid, Bridget Sullivan, were the only ones who could have committed the murders - unless an extremely resourceful killer was able to gain access to the house, kill Abby, hide long enough for Andrew to come home and fall asleep in order to commit the second murder, then leave the house without being noticed by Lizzie, Bridget, or any of the neighbors.
Lizzie was accused, charged, and tried for the murders of her stepmother and father. Despite the fact that she kept changing her story, not to mention the fact that she hated her stepmother, she was found not guilty. The police investigation of the murders was, at best, slipshod, and the fact that Lizzie was a woman worked in her favor. Juries of the time still consisted entirely of men, and none of them could belief that Lizzie, member of a prominent family (and a woman!) could be capable of such a crime.
She most certainly could, and in my opinion, she was guilty of both murders.
Andrew and Abby Borden's former house, where they met such gruesome ends, is now a bed and breakfast. The house also serves as a museum, where guests can see photos of the crime scene. The whole house looks much as it did when the Bordens lived there.
The house is open for tours, including night tours. You can also take part in a Paranormal Night at the Borden house, as well as "A Night with Lizbeth Borden" at Lizzie's later residence, Maplecroft.
In the 19th century, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts was the center of the U.S. textile industry. The city was also known for the production of iron, twine, thread, and looms. Towards the end of the century, however, the city became infamous for a shocking double murder.
On August 4, 1892, leading citizens Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death with a hatchet. Abby was murdered first, struck down as she changed the sheets in the guest bedroom. Andrew was murdered while sleeping on a couch downstairs.
Andrew's 32-year-old daughter, Lizzie, and the maid, Bridget Sullivan, were the only ones who could have committed the murders - unless an extremely resourceful killer was able to gain access to the house, kill Abby, hide long enough for Andrew to come home and fall asleep in order to commit the second murder, then leave the house without being noticed by Lizzie, Bridget, or any of the neighbors.
Lizzie was accused, charged, and tried for the murders of her stepmother and father. Despite the fact that she kept changing her story, not to mention the fact that she hated her stepmother, she was found not guilty. The police investigation of the murders was, at best, slipshod, and the fact that Lizzie was a woman worked in her favor. Juries of the time still consisted entirely of men, and none of them could belief that Lizzie, member of a prominent family (and a woman!) could be capable of such a crime.
She most certainly could, and in my opinion, she was guilty of both murders.
Andrew and Abby Borden's former house, where they met such gruesome ends, is now a bed and breakfast. The house also serves as a museum, where guests can see photos of the crime scene. The whole house looks much as it did when the Bordens lived there.
The house is open for tours, including night tours. You can also take part in a Paranormal Night at the Borden house, as well as "A Night with Lizbeth Borden" at Lizzie's later residence, Maplecroft.
