What happened to the Lizzie Borden house?

At 230 Second Street, Fall River, Massachusetts stands a home that was once the scene of a gruesome crime. It’s popular among locals and tourists as the Lizzie Borden house.

Andrew Borden purchased the home in 1872 and remodeled it to fit his family’s needs. He lived there with his second wife, Abby, and his two daughters, Emma and Lizzie. Andrew’s first wife, Sarah, died just three years after his second daughter was born. Andrew then married Abby three years after he became a widower. The Bordens also had a live-in maid named Bridget.

Aug. 4, 1892, was a regular morning in the Borden household. Andrew, Abby, Lizzie, and Bridget all had breakfast together. Also present was Lizzie’s uncle, John Morse, who was visiting. Emma, meanwhile, was away on vacation. After breakfast, Morse and Andrew left the house while the three women stayed home and resumed their daily activities. Andrew returned home at approximately 10:30am and decided to nap on the sofa in the living room.

At 11:10am Lizzie called out for Bridget and told her that her father had been killed. Andrew was bloodied and it was evident that he was no longer alive. Later, Abby was also discovered dead in the home’s guest bedroom. Authorities believed that both victims were brutally attacked with a hatchet.

The trial

Lizzie and Bridget were the only ones in the Borden house present during the time of the murders. Investigators zeroed in on Lizzie, and her testimony during the inquest left authorities, the judge, and the district attorney to believe that she was the one who murdered her father and stepmother. She was arrested a week after the murders.

Her trial began in June 1893, and she pleaded not guilty. The jury heard testimonies from several individuals. Lizzie was also brought to the stand and asked about her relationship with Abby. It was suspected that she didn’t like her stepmother, and it seemed they didn’t have a close relationship based on her statement. “I did not regard her as my mother, though she came there when I was young,” Lizzie said. The jury consisted of 12 men, and after deliberating for a little over an hour, they returned with a verdict of not guilty. Lizzie was acquitted, but the public was divided. Some were satisfied with the trial’s conclusion, while others thought that Lizzie had gotten away with murder.

The Lizzie Borden house today

Lizzie inherited a large sum of money after her father’s death. She and her sister Emma stayed at the Borden house for a short time after the trial but moved to a 14-bedroom home in Fall River later. The sisters had a falling out after several years, and Emma moved out of the house. Lizzie died of pneumonia in 1927 at the age of 66.

Today, the site of the murders still stands, with some of the original furnishings still in place. Several renovations have taken place throughout the years, but entering the house feels like stepping back in time. Other items from the Borden house were replicated to give an authentic experience to visitors. The house is a bed and breakfast museum offering house and ghost tours. Artifacts from the murder are also displayed for tourists to see. Overnight guests have six bedrooms to choose from, including the John Morse suite where Abby was murdered.