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The Lizzie Borden House — Fall River, MA (1892)

A black and white photograph of the Borden house on Second Street, Fall River, in 1892

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Ghost / Haunting Historical case When: Murders: August 4, 1892; open as a B&B since 1996  ·  Where: Fall River, Massachusetts

Status: Unverified — the double murder is real and was never solved in court; claims of ghosts are anecdotal, and one skeptical investigator attributes the usual “evidence” to the ideomotor effect.

A black and white photograph of the Borden house on Second Street, Fall River, in 1892
The Borden house, 92 Second Street, Fall River, in 1892.
Credit: Unknown photographer (1892 image) · Licence: Public domain (per Wikimedia Commons) · Source

Andrew Borden, a prominent Fall River banker, and his wife Abby were killed with a hatchet inside their home on Second Street in 1892. Andrew's daughter Lizzie was tried for the murders and acquitted in 1893, and nobody else was ever convicted.

The house, once numbered 92 and now 230 Second Street, has operated as a bed and breakfast and museum since 1996. Tours mention possible ghostly activity, and guests and authors have described feeling presences and seeing odd things. The skeptical investigator Joe Nickell reports that these claims rest on unverifiable feelings or on methods such as table-tipping and Ouija boards, which are explained by the ideomotor effect.

The real story is a famous crime with an uncertain answer. The ghost stories are part of the tourist experience.

Sources: Wikipedia: Lizzie Borden House · Fall River Historical Society

Historical case. This is a summary written by the Department from the published sources listed above, in our own words. It is a historical case added to the map for context, not a reader submission. Reports are claims or findings as described in those sources; they are not proof of anything, and where an official or widely accepted explanation exists we say so. For entertainment and curiosity only. Spotted a mistake, or know more? Add a verification note below, or email paranormaldepartment1@gmail.com.

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