Just in time for Lizzie Borden’s birthday, we took a trip to Fall River to see some history related to the case.

Trying to avoid the heat of the city, we drove down to Fall River in search of cooler breezes and spooky history at the Lizzie Borden House. Getting there was very easy, but upon arrival, there was no one to give the tour and the price totally turned us off. Not only that, some other people wrote in their reviews that it was over the top and not really historical.

Instead, we wandered over to the Fall River Historical Society to see what they had to offer.

The house on the outside, with the stone exterior, slate roof, and well-manicured grounds, is beautiful and very well taken care of, so we had high hopes for the inside. FHS totally did not let us down! Gorgeous ceiling medallions, creepy hand shaped sconces, a 14 foot tall mirror, and more filled the house which we toured with a young woman who was obviously very proud of her city.

Some of the cool things we saw included beautiful (and some ugly) paintings of previous residents of the house, intricate  wooden carvings, a nineteenth century grandfather clock, and a room dedicated to luxury water travel at the turn of the twentieth century.

While the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast is the location of the horrific and tragic event in 1892, it does not have many of the original items from the murders or trial. Donated to the Historical Society after they were found in a shed on the property of the prosecutor, these items are amazing to look at.

One of the most interesting was the hair extension of Lizzie’s step-mother, Abby. Still braided, the extension shows where the ax cut it from her head during the attack.

While pictures were not allowed, the house was elegant and spacious, complete with original woodwork and accents.

Unfortunately they did not have air conditioning inside the house so if you go in the summer, be prepared to be a little hot!

Want to see some photos of the Lizzie Borden artifacts? Check out these other posts here:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2108
http://thechanceryhouse.com/abby_hair.jpg

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