The Lizzie Borden House Haunting

“Lizzie Borden took an axe, and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.”

The children’s rhyme immortalized one of America’s most infamous unsolved murders. But the house at 230 Second Street in Fall River, Massachusetts, where Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death in 1892, has a darker legacy: guests at the now-operating bed and breakfast report the murdered couple never left.

The Murders

August 4, 1892

On a sweltering August morning, someone entered the Borden home and brutally murdered:

Abby Durfee Borden (64) Lizzie’s stepmother was attacked in the upstairs guest bedroom. She received 19 blows from a hatchet, mostly to the back of her skull. The first blow was likely fatal; the remaining 18 were delivered as she lay face-down.

Andrew Jackson Borden (70) Lizzie’s father was killed approximately 90 minutes later while napping on the parlor sofa. He received 11 blows to the face and head, destroying his left eye and splitting his face.

The Investigation and Trial

Lizzie Borden, 32, was the only suspect. She was tried and acquitted in 1893, largely because the murder weapon was never conclusively identified, no blood was found on Lizzie’s clothing, and Victorian juries were reluctant to convict a woman of such violence. The case remains officially unsolved.

The Hauntings

Immediate Aftermath

Even before the trial concluded, the house developed a dark reputation: neighbors refused to enter, servants wouldn’t work there, and Andrew Borden’s ghost was reportedly seen peering from windows.

Modern Activity

Since the house became a bed and breakfast in 1996, thousands of guests have reported paranormal experiences.

The Guest Bedroom (Abby’s Death Room) Visitors feel overwhelming dread, women report feeling watched or followed, and the sensation of someone lying on the floor is frequently experienced. Cold spots that move through the room are also commonly reported, alongside a female apparition in 1890s dress.

The Parlor (Andrew’s Death Room) The sofa where Andrew died remains (a replica), and guests feel uncomfortable reclining on it. Shadow figures have been seen near the windows, and the smell of blood has been reported periodically. A male figure in Victorian attire is also frequently observed.

The Basement Where Andrew’s body was initially examined, the basement possesses a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, and strange sounds emanate from the darkness. Equipment malfunctions and feelings of being touched are also regularly reported by visitors.

Notable Encounters

The Sobbing Woman Multiple guests have reported hearing a woman crying in the upstairs guest room, particularly in the early morning hours.

The Staircase Figure A dark figure has been seen ascending and descending the stairs – the same stairs Lizzie claimed she used while the murders occurred.

The Maid’s Testimony Even the live-in caretakers report phenomena: doors opening and closing, footsteps overhead, objects moving, and voices when alone.

Investigations

Paranormal Research

The Lizzie Borden House has been investigated by major paranormal groups.

The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) Featured on Ghost Hunters, investigators captured EVPs and experienced unexplained phenomena.

Ghost Adventures Zak Bagans and team documented extensive activity including apparent communication attempts.

Numerous Private Groups The house is regularly rented for overnight investigations, with consistent reports of EVP recordings, unexplained photographs, equipment malfunctions, and personal experiences.

The Evidence

Documented phenomena include photographs showing anomalous figures, audio recordings of voices, temperature fluctuations, EMF readings in specific locations, and objects photographed in different positions.

Staying at the House

The Bed and Breakfast

The Lizzie Borden House operates as a working B&B: guests can sleep in the actual murder rooms, period furnishings recreate 1892 atmosphere, tours are offered daily, and ghost hunts are available.

Guest Experiences

Reviews consistently mention paranormal elements: “We heard footsteps all night,” “Something touched my face while I slept,” “I’ll never forget the feeling in that guest room,” and “The most haunted place I’ve ever been.” Not all guests experience phenomena, but those who do describe intense, memorable encounters.

Who Haunts the House?

The Primary Spirits

Andrew Borden The patriarch, brutally murdered in his own home. Reported in the parlor, near windows, and throughout the first floor.

Abby Borden The stepmother, killed first and left undiscovered for 90 minutes. Reported in the guest bedroom and upstairs areas.

Other Presences

Some investigators believe additional spirits reside in the house: previous occupants, Lizzie herself (who died in 1927), and unknown entities attracted to the location’s dark history.

The Question of Lizzie

Her Later Life

After acquittal, Lizzie and her sister Emma bought a larger house in Fall River’s Hill district (called “Maplecroft”). She lived there until her death in 1927.

Some witnesses at the murder house have reported a third presence - possibly Lizzie, returned to the scene of either her crime or her parents’ murder.

The Unsolved Mystery

Without resolution, the case remains: did Lizzie kill her parents? Most historians believe yes; why? Inheritance, family tensions, possible mental illness; how did she avoid blood splatter? Never explained; what happened to the murder weapon? Never found. This lack of closure may contribute to the haunting – the spirits unable to rest without justice.

Legacy

The Lizzie Borden House represents America’s fascination with unsolved murder, the Victorian era’s darker side, the endurance of true crime interest, and an active paranormal investigation destination. Over 130 years after Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered, their home continues to generate experiences that suggest they never truly left. The violence of their deaths, the injustice of the unsolved case, and the darkness of that August morning seem permanently imprinted on the house. Guests today can sleep in the same rooms, walk the same stairs, and perhaps encounter the same presences that have been reported since 1892. The Borden house remembers what happened. And something within still wants visitors to know.

Sources

• Wikipedia search: “The Lizzie Borden House Haunting”
• Society for Psychical Research — SPR proceedings, peer-reviewed psychical research since 1882
• Library of Congress — American Folklife Center — American folklore archive
• Chronicling America — Historic US newspapers (1690–1963)