The Lizzie Borden House — The House That Rocked — Paranormal History

What Haunts the Lizzie Borden House?

The Lizzie Borden House — in Fall River, Massachusetts — is where Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered with an axe in 1892. Lizzie was acquitted. The ghosts remain. The Lizzie Borden House is one of the most famous haunted houses in America — not because of the number of ghosts, but because of the notoriety of the crime that created them. The Borden murders and the subsequent trial of Lizzie Borden captivated the nation in 1892, and the house at 92 Second Street continues to draw visitors more than a century later.

The house is a modest Victorian structure — two stories of clapboard siding with a small front porch and a narrow yard. It looks like any other house on a quiet residential street. But inside, the walls hold the memory of one of the most gruesome and controversial murders in American history.

History

The Borden Family

Andrew Borden was a wealthy businessman in Fall River, Massachusetts. He made his fortune in real estate and the textile industry, and by the 1890s, he was one of the wealthiest men in the city. Andrew was known for his frugality — despite his wealth, he lived in a modest house on Second Street, preferring to save his money rather than spend it.

Andrew’s second wife, Abby Durfee Gray Borden, was a quiet, reserved woman who had married Andrew in 1865. Abby was a stepmother to Andrew’s two daughters from his first marriage — Lizzie and Emma. The relationship between Lizzie and Abby was strained, and there were persistent rumors of conflict between the two women.

Lizzie Borden was a 32-year-old Sunday school teacher who lived in the family home. She was active in her church and community, and she presented herself as a proper, respectable young woman. But beneath the surface, there were tensions — financial disputes, family arguments, and a growing resentment toward her stepmother.

The Murders (August 4, 1892)

On the morning of August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were found murdered in their home. Andrew was discovered on the couch in the sitting room, his skull crushed by multiple blows from a hatchet. Abby was found in the guest bedroom upstairs, her face so badly mutilated that she was initially unrecognizable.

Lizzie claimed she had been in the barn at the time of the murders, looking for iron ore to use as a weight for fishing sinkers. She said she had discovered her father’s body when she returned to the house. The family’s Irish maid, Bridget Sullivan, was also in the house but claimed to have been resting in her room.

The investigation focused almost immediately on Lizzie. She had a motive — she stood to inherit her father’s estate — and her alibi was weak. The discovery of a hatchet in the basement, along with evidence that Lizzie had attempted to purchase prussic acid (a poison) the day before the murders, further incriminated her.

The Trial

Lizzie Borden was tried for the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in June 1893. The trial was a national sensation — it was one of the first major media events in American history, covered by newspapers across the country. The prosecution presented circumstantial evidence, including the hatchet, the prussic acid, and Lizzie’s inconsistent alibi.

The defense argued that Lizzie was a proper, churchgoing woman who was incapable of such violence. They also pointed to the lack of physical evidence — no blood was found on Lizzie’s clothing, and the hatchet was never definitively linked to the murders.

On June 20, 1893, the jury acquitted Lizzie Borden. The verdict was met with both relief and outrage. Many believed Lizzie was guilty; others believed she had been wrongly accused. The case was never solved.

Life After the Trial

After her acquittal, Lizzie Borden continued to live in Fall River. She purchased a large house on the outskirts of the city, which she named Maplecroft. She lived there until her death in 1927, at the age of 66. She never married and was rarely seen in public after the trial.

The house at 92 Second Street was sold and passed through several hands over the following decades. In 1996, it was purchased by a private owner and converted into a bed-and-breakfast. Today, the Lizzie Borden House operates as a museum and inn, offering overnight stays in the rooms where the murders occurred.

The Mystery / Paranormal Activity

Andrew Borden

The ghost of Andrew Borden is reportedly seen in the upstairs bedroom where his body was found. Witnesses describe a translucent figure lying on the bed — a man with gray hair and a beard, lying motionless. The figure is described as remarkably lifelike, with detailed features that match historical photographs of Andrew Borden.

The apparition is most commonly reported late at night, between midnight and 3:00 AM. Guests who stay in the room report feeling a heavy presence — a weight or pressure that seems to press down on the bed. Some guests have reported seeing the figure sitting up in bed, staring at them with hollow eyes.

Abby Borden

The ghost of Abby Borden is reported in the guest bedroom upstairs — the room where she was found murdered. The apparition is described as a woman in a long dress, sitting in a chair or standing near the window. Her face is often described as blurred or indistinct, as if her features have been erased.

Guests who stay in the room report hearing whispered voices and feeling sudden drops in temperature. Some guests have reported seeing a figure standing over them while they sleep — a woman in a long dress, looking down at them with an expression of sorrow or accusation.

Physical Contact

One of the most commonly reported phenomena at the Lizzie Borden House is physical contact. Guests report being touched on the shoulder, the arm, or the back by an unseen hand. The touch is described as gentle but unmistakable — a physical pressure that leaves no mark but is clearly felt.

Some guests have reported feeling a hand on their face — a soft, cold touch that wakes them from sleep. Others have reported feeling someone sitting on the bed beside them, only to find no one there when they open their eyes.

The Whispers

Whispered voices are heard throughout the house — indistinct, unintelligible speech that seems to come from empty rooms and hallways. The whispers are most commonly reported on the second floor, particularly near the rooms where the murders occurred. Some witnesses have described the whispers as sounding like an argument — two voices, speaking rapidly and urgently.

The Smell of Blood

Several guests have reported smelling the metallic scent of blood in the rooms where the murders occurred — even though the rooms have been thoroughly cleaned and renovated multiple times. The smell is described as faint but persistent, and it is most commonly reported in the guest bedroom where Abby Borden was found.

“I felt someone sit on the bed. I looked up. No one was there. But the mattress had a dent — like someone was sitting there.” — Guest, Lizzie Borden House, 2010

Evidence and Investigations

The Lizzie Borden House has been investigated by numerous paranormal research teams. Its combination of documented history, famous murders, and consistent witness reports make it one of the most compelling haunted locations in the northeastern United States.

The New England Ghost Project conducted an investigation of the house in 2015. Their team spent two nights in the house, concentrating their equipment on the second floor and in the rooms where the murders occurred. They captured several pieces of evidence:

EVP recordings of whispered voices in the guest bedroom — voices that did not correspond to any member of the investigation team
Thermal imaging showing a human-shaped heat signature sitting on the bed in the room where Andrew Borden was found
EMF readings that spiked in specific locations on the second floor, corresponding to where witnesses have reported seeing apparitions

“The evidence we collected at the Lizzie Borden House was among the most compelling we’ve ever recorded. The EVPs — whispered voices — were clear and unambiguous. Something is still in that house.” — Lead investigator, New England Ghost Project

The house has also been featured on paranormal television programs, including Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Witness. These investigations have produced additional evidence, including photographic anomalies and temperature readings that suggest the presence of unseen entities.

What Do You Think?

Lizzie Borden was acquitted of murder. But the ghosts of Andrew and Abby Borden remain. The question is not whether the Borden murders were real — they were. The question is whether the spirits of the victims still inhabit the house where they died.

Is the Lizzie Borden House haunted by the ghosts of Andrew and Abby Borden? By the memory of the violence that occurred there? Or is the house simply a place where a famous crime has created a permanent association between the building and the supernatural?

The house stands on Second Street. The rooms are clean and quiet. But the ghosts of Andrew and Abby Borden wait.

Summary

Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered with a hatchet in their Fall River, Massachusetts home in 1892
Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted of the murders — the case remains unsolved
Guests report being touched, whispered to, and watched by unseen presences
The ghosts of Andrew and Abby Borden have been seen in the rooms where they died
Physical phenomena — cold spots, smells, and the sensation of someone sitting on the bed — are regularly reported
Bottom line: The Lizzie Borden House is one of America’s most famous haunted houses