Lizzie Borden Slept Here

On April 25th I wrote a blog (scroll down) trumpeting a terrific newspaper article on the history of Gardner’s Neck Road.  I mentioned it was the first time I seen it in print that the above farm house had been built by Peleg Gardner and his sons.

Well, sometimes you get a sweet nudge from someone you met and with whom you shared your interest in Lizzie Borden.  Thanks to “Vicki”, who refreshed my memory, I can show the source of where I did, in fact, read about the sons of Peleg Gardner building the “Borden farmhouse” on Gardner’s Neck Road in Swansea, MA.

Thank you, Vicki!

Click on the email for a larger view.

I should mention my newspaper collection on the Borden case is vast – I have photo copies of the newspapers which are kept in ten 4-inch wide 3-ring binders and indexted by date and headline.  They begin with 1845 (Fall River Monitor) and continue to present time as I am constantly adding to it.  Vicky caused me to look back into my presentation package for that lecture and check the “Headline” index – and I was able to quickly find it.

The article was written by Barbara Ashton, long time Swansea historian, who, sadly, died in the late 1990’s.  She appeared in a number of Lizzie Borden documentaries.   It is a terrific article full of interesting information that any Borden scholar would relish and appreciate.   Again, click to increase size.

The Gardner Cemetery – Swansea

Add on:  There’s a wonderful article in yesterday’s Fall River Herald News written by Linda Murphy titled:  “Gardner’s Neck – Bountiful  Beginnings”

giving a history of this area which figures so prominently in the Lizzie Borden case due to her father’s (Andrew Jackson Borden)  land purchases.   This is the first time I’ve come across the fact – in a printed newspaper article – that the property at 1205 Gardner’s Neck Road  was originally built by the sons of Peleg Gardner.  (The house can be seen in the second post referenced below.) It was more than two decades ago I was first shown this area by the late and beloved historian Helen Pierce of Swansea, Ma. who gave me a history of Peleg Gardner and showed me the lands common to his decendents and the Bordens.

Another related post to Swansea’s historical ties to the Borden family can be found at another earlier post of mine.

(Recycled post)

Fall River has it’s Richard(s) Borden, and Swansea, Mass. has it’s Peleg Gardner. Lots of Bordens, lots of Gardners. Like the Richard Bordens, old Peleg split his vast property holdings to his sons and it was through their descendents that Lizzie Borden’s father, Andrew, acquired much of his Swansea property. Most of the “founding” Gardners are buried at the Gardner Cemetery, not far from the “lower farm” at 1205 Gardner’s Neck Road.

There are many associations ‘twix the Bordens and Gardners within the Andrew J. Borden family, be they legal, familial or scandalous. As previously stated on this blog, it was a cousin, Orrin Gardner, who inherited much of Emma Borden’s estate, including the early (and recently discovered) portraits of Lizzie & Emma’s biological parents, Andrew Borden and Sarah Morse, as well as family albums and the Borden bible – all shown here.

Carl Becker, Swansea Historical Society President, ponders the “Borden Bible”. The portraits are available for public viewing at the Luther’s Museum in Swansea and the albums available to the public at the Swansea Library.

It was Preston Gardner who rescued Lizzie from the notorious Tilden-Thurber shoplifting incident of 1897. Years ago, Florence Brigham of The Hill People’s Historical Society (whoops, that’s Fall River Historical Society) told me of the story related below which was typed up after Mrs. Dawson came in and told it to Florence so as to be a “matter of record for our archives” as she (Florence) put it.  Elizabeth Brayton Dawson was listed as an Honorary Director with the FRHS.

(The two paintings on porcelain were “Love’s Awakening” and “Love’s Dream”.) The image below is “Love’s Awakening”.

Preston is buried between his two wives with a whole slew of other Gardners at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Swansea.

A couple of unrelated items of interest: The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast finally has a replacement screen door, much to the welcome of case “purists”as well as lending to more accuracy for those annual August 4th re-enactments.

And the Central Congregational Church, dba International Institute of Culinary Arts, has got a not-so-tattered mesh fabric protecting it’s steeple from spilling forth more bricks.

Getting the Fall River community vested in “what they’ve lost, what they’ve destroyed and what they have left” is something that culinary institute owner Chef George Karousos is passionately interested in and finalizing his booklet of that title. He showed us the booklet and its absolutely wonderful. I would describe it as a simplistic cross between Judith Boss’s Pictorial History of Fall River and the Historic Fall River book illustrating the architectural types of structures in the city.

After lunch at the Abbey Grille, myself, Doug Tweedy, General Manager WSAR Radio and Chef George discussed the malaise in Fall River with regard to historic preservation and how he can best get underwriting for printing and publicity for the booklet through community outreach.

The “Upper” & “Lower” Swansea Farms

Andrew Borden, Lizzie Borden’s father, purchased several tracts of land in Swansea, much of it from the Gardner family.

Luther’s Tavern where John Morse ate dinner on August 3, 1892.

The “Lower” Borden Farm

The “farm house” most often visited is at 1205 Gardner’s Neck Road as shown below. It was known as the Lower farm. This was the farm where the Bordens “summered”. The add-on was done to accommodate William Almy’s family, Andrew’s partner in the furniture and Undertaking business. After William died, Andrew purchased his half from the Widow Almy. Lizzie used to fish with her father on the Cole’s River a short ways down back of the barn. The Swede, Alfred Johnson, managed this farm.

Note green barn in back.

This would be the barn that Lizzie’s horse and wagon would be put in while she visited there post trial. Lizzie’s chairs, once stored in the barn, are now housed at Luther’s Museum.

The “Upper” Borden Farm

On Old Warren Road, very close to Luther’s Four Corners. This was a huge farm with cattle, vegetable crops, chickens, etc. managed by Mr. Eddy. It is where uncle John Vinnicum Morse stopped by to fetch the eggs Andrew asked him to bring back. This was the farm that Morse referred to when questioned about Andrew making a Will. He said Andrew told him one time when they were “walking on the street” that he thought of giving this to the Old Ladie’s Home “if they would have it.” Frankly, I think Morse was lying to cover up what he and Andrew talked about Wednesday afternoon concerning Andrew’s Will. Victoria Lincoln asserts in her book, A Private Disgrace, that Andrew was planning to leave this property to Abby and that Lizzie learned of it and this knowledge was the precipating motive to the killings. It would be easy to understand that Lizzie would not want this property going to Abby. In a 1909 journal of Leontine Lincoln, grandfather of Victoria, he writes about this farm. I read it first hand as presented to me by his great-grandaughter, Louise Kittredge.

The current residents tell me the tree and stone wall date back to the 1870’s or earlier.

According to George Quigley, the house below, which sits across the street from the Swansea Country Club, was purchased or leased by Andrew when he was married to Sarah.

Carl Becker, President of the Swansea Historical Society (see slide show of interior) standing in front of Swansea Country Club. Taken April, 2008, the day of our drive around historic Swansea, ending up at the Library.

New Photo of Emma Borden

From a recently acquired photo comes another purported image of Emma Lenora Borden, sister to Lizzie Borden.  Stefani Koorey, obsessed with all things Borden, quit her tenured teaching job in theater history at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida and moved to  Fall River early last summer.   Unemployed and sharing an apartment next door to “Maplecroft” where her boyfriend lives, she spends time digging thru old  boxes of old photos  in search of Borden family members.  But this time she saw an old photo for sale and bought it, believing it to be Emma Borden.  Lucky for us Stefani Koorey made the move and pulled out another photo – this time identifying it as Emma Borden.  Personally, I think it is Emma.  Let’s take a look, shall we?

Above carte-de-visite taken at Melville Sumner studio on 5 So. Main probably between 1873 and 1877 when Emma would have been 23 to 27 years old.

I know, I know. At first glance, anyone familiar with the often published Emma Borden as seen below would say “That ain’t her.”    Here is the Emma we are familiar with:

Here she is obviously older – perhaps the pictures are around 10 years apart – it certainly would serve the maxim that stress ages a person rapidly, doncha think?

What I find remarkable is comparing the “new Emma” with the “young Andrew” – remember that?

In this new image she certainly seems to have her father’s nose, bulbous eyes and mouth.  The downward curvature of the lip lines as they grew older seems to have been a Borden trait.

Poor Emma.  Her disapproval of Abby bore upon her countenance as she aged.  Perhaps not just that, but also her self-imposed life of quiet restraint and solitude contributed to the appearance of a woman who radiated little joy or happiness upon which her friends could remark.

How about these, folks?

Nah.  We’ll just have to wait until the next ” big reveal”.   Some, like me, may think it stupid to leave a good paying job in these economic times just to chase Lizzie in Fall River, but those of us interested in the case certainly reap the benefits of her finds.   Keep ‘em comin’!

HUZZAH! TO KERI RODRIGUES!!

YES, SHE KNOWS ALL ABOUT LIZZIE BORDEN, BUT THIS BLOG IS FOR BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO MY FRIEND KERI WHO LANDED A GREAT JOB WITH THE BRISTOL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE. IT’S THEIR GAIN AND WSAR RADIO’S LOSS. GOOD FOR YOU, KERI!!!

KERI’S NEW JOB IS DESCRIBED IN TODAYS FALL RIVER HERALD NEWS HERE.

KERI’S BLOG IS LOADED WITH CONGRATULATORY COMMENTS!

YOU GO, GIRL!

Fall River – Keri Rodrigues Talk Radio

Back from travels abroad and in Fall River now emersed in Lizzie Borden.  Had a hoot doing the WSAR (1480) Keri Rodrigues show this morning.  Switchboard lit up and lots of Q&A so was invited back for tomorrow morning, Thursday, April 25. 

If you live in the Fall River, Providence area – tune in.  Will be yakking about Lizzie’s life at Maplecroft, the who-dunnit/how-dunnit of the murders, why the Lizzie Borden B&B is like no other, and the “Emma Did It” theory – the latter of which can be blamed on Louis McHenry Howe.

Beautiful weather….like yesterday, which was spent with Carl Becker at Luther’s Museum and the Swansea Library.   Donated a bunch of buttons, magnets, etc.,  with the new “Little Lizzie” image and new AJB charcoal rendering to the Swansea Historical Society and the B&B.  These are also available from my CafePress site (click “My Cafe Press” at Blogroll on right).

Hope some of you Fall River locals who read my blog regularly will listen in and call in tomorrow.  I look forward to it! 

 

 

 

That “New” Lizzie Borden Photograph

As I predicted, this image of Lizzie Borden as a young girl is all over the internet via individual blogs and various digital news media reporting. You’d think bloggers would at least cite how and where it came from, unlike, for example, the Bibliophile Bulletin which is where I snatched *this* one.

I indicated in a previous blog the image was discovered by noted Fall River author and historian, Leonard Rebello – who’s book Lizzie Borden Past & Present is the “bible” on the case, and Stef Koorey, editor of the online quarterly Hatchet as reported at her website lizzieandewborden.com. Rummaging through a long time donation from the treasure trove of Emma’s possessions given over to Orrin Gardner (a cousin of Lizzie & Emma) at Luther’s Museum in Swansea, Ma. they stumbled upon this photo among other goodies.

The more I look at this image the more I am struck less by the winsome quality to the countenance as I am to the sense of a troubled and unhappy young girl. If it IS Lizzie (and I believe it is) and she is around 8 or 9 instead of 12-13 (another possibility), this would have been a time in her life when her sister Emma, 9 years older, would have been away to school at Wheaton Female Seminary.

If one were to subscribe to the “incest” theory, one could theorize Lizzie’s sad countenance was attributed to being a victim at this time, unprotected by her absent sister. On the other hand, I have never thought of Andrew Borden being a very sexual person – rather one who got turned on by making and accumulating money.

When he was married to Sarah, his first wife who bore Emma and Lizzie and Alice (the baby that died at two years) this would account for three pregnancies (that we KNOW about) all spaced over 5-year intervals during their 17 year marriage. This was not the norm in those days for child-bearing. The “incest theory”, so prevalent in the early 1990’s, speculated that Sarah, known to have severe headaches and a volitile temper may have refused sexual relations with Andrew, thus no children after 1860. Andrew may not have had ongoing sexual relations with Abby, and may have then turned to his youngest daughter for such gratification. It was not uncommon for men in that era to commit such acts which they justified by a sense of entitlement.

So could it be that “Little Lizzie”, as this photo has become known, was looking so sad and troubled because she was the victim of incest by her father? Something to ponder.

New Photo of Lizzie Borden

How timely that my previous blog entry showed how Lizzie may have looked as a contemporary woman that I can present this newly found image of Lizzie Borden as a very young girl. Again from the treasures of Luther’s Museum and the Swansea Historical Society in Swansea, MA, donated by the Gardner family long ago, it also laid dormant until dug up by Leonard Rebello and Stef Koorey over the past Holidays. So now we have another new stunning image to add to “The Bordens” photo collection.

I can’t help but think Lizzie looks a lot like her mother, Sarah Anthony Morse Borden, in this photo. Could it be that Lizzie’s older sister, Emma, was so often reminded of her dear mother when she looked upon Lizzie’s face?

I’ve suggested to Lee-ann Wilber and Donald Woods, co-owners of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, that they print out this image and frame it as an addition to the other known photos of Lizzie that now grace the bookshelf mantel in the B&B Sitting Room.

Now that this image is on the internet, it won’t be long before new emphera pops up on Etsy, eBay, and other sites – you know, all those necklaces, ear rings, cloth dolls, notecards, snow globes, and whatever with various images of Lizzie’s face. Cest ‘la vie.

”Live life liberated! Better to be direct and honest than false and phoney. Image and reputation are transient perceptions of what other people think, not what they know.”

 

 

 

 

 

NEW PORTRAIT OF LIZZIE BORDEN’S MOTHER FOUND

Note: See added paragraphs at bottom of this post taken from an email I sent to my fellow Geocacher and author Joe Carlson, who’s new book, The Unfortunate Dr. Webster is now available.

 

Sarah Anthony Morse was born in Somerset, MA on September 19, 1823, and married Andrew Jackson Borden, who was born in Fall River, MA on September 13, 1822. They were married on Christmas Day, 1845 in Fall River. They were the biological parents of Lizzie Andrew Borden.

On December 17, 2007, I posted about Andrew’s newly discovered portrait (shown above) which had been laying dormant for decades at the Swansea Historical Society, and included my letter requesting the portrait remain in their care, custody, and ownership. I am happy to report that it now appears that it will be.

But even more exciting is the news that they have found “the other” portrait that was left to the SHS when Andrew’s was delivered decades ago. When I saw Andrew’s portrait during a visit to Fall River last year, I felt at the get-go that the portrait of him was of an Andrew in his early 20’s and remarked when the “other” portrait was located it would more than likely be of his first wife, Sarah. It has now been located and is indeed Lizzie and Emma’s mother, most likely taken near the time she and Andrew were married – 153 years ago! Both portraits share the same type ornate framing. Also found within the structure of Luther’s Museum, is a small framed photograph that may be Sarah’s mother, which they are looking into.

The picture above of Sarah is NOT the portrait – I’m awaiting an email of some digital photos but will have to wait until I’m next in Fall River to see Sarah’s portrait – the companion piece to Andrew’s – up-close and personal.

Oh, how I would love to see both these portraits hanging at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast at 92 Second Street. Perhaps Donald Woods and Lee-ann Wilber, co-owners, can arrange temporary loans for “special showings” in the future such as the anniversary of the murders – August 4th – when hundreds flock to “Mecca”.

The portraits would have still been Andrew’s property when Sarah died and the family lived on Ferry Street. They probably hung there. When Andrew married Abby, seems to me they would have been taken down and stored, maybe eventually at the Swansea farmhouse when that was purchased. I would think Emma, who so loved and remembered her own mother, would have been upset about the portraits being removed. It would not have been appropriate for the portraits to hang at 92 Second Street. Andrew was the boss of the household….why keep a wedding portrait of your first wife in the home you share with your second wife? No, I think the portraits were stored at Swansea for all these years…maybe boxed up in the barn loft, who knows.

On the other hand, when Andrew died, and after the Trial and purchase of “Maplecroft” and the sisters’ visits to Swansea, Emma may have remembered,found and retrieved them and had them hung somewhere (her room?) at Maplecroft. When she moved out in 1905, she may have taken them with her. She may have kept them with her until her death when Orrin Gardner (see extract of Emma’s Will below) inherited most of her stuff and he would have stored them at Swansea where they probably sat dormant until donated to the Swansea Historical Society.

“FIFTH: I give and bequeath to my cousin, Orrin A. Gardner, of Touisset, Massachusetts, the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000), and all of my household furniture and furnishings, including all books, pictures, ornaments and personal effects not otherwise disposed of in this will, if he shall survive me.”

LIZZIE BORDEN “ALONE” PAINTING AT MAPLECROFT

UPDATE: “ALONE” ARTIST IDENTIFIED

My stepbrother (who was so cool to give me a brand new Garmin GPS tracker for Christmas) was looking over my blog today and came across this entry and said: “Hey! I know that artist!” Well it turns out its Herman Alfred Leonard Wahlberg, a Swedish artist born in Stockholm February 13, 1834 and died October 4, 1906. Nordic landscape painting was popular during those years, and this Swedish landscape is typical of the Dusseldorf version of wilderness paintings. Known as just “Alfred Wahlberg” you can see a picture of him here. Like many of those artists of that style during that period, prints of his paintings are still available.

(Original post follows):

There are numerous known and unknown people all over Fall River and environs who have “stuff” that belonged to Lizzie. On my last visit while shopping at an outlet store at the Durfee Mills I chatted with the store owner who told me she had an old rocking chair that belonged to Lizzie and if I came back she’d show me a picture of it. I never made it back but we did exchange addresses and I’ve yet to write her. Meanwhile, here’s something I can relate and show now.

Some months ago, Jeff Masson of Somerset, MA noticed an elderly gentleman admiring the house he lives in and Jeff, his mother and this man got to talking. Eventually the subject of Lizzie Borden came up (Jeff is a frequent visitor to the Lizzie Borden B&B and has a keen knowledge of the Bordens and others buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River.) During the conversation the gentleman, Elliott Barrows of Somerset, related that he had a painting that was given to his grandfather by Lizzie Borden. The story goes that Lizzie had some work done at her house she named “Maplecroft” #7 French Street (now 306) in Fall River, and it was Mr. Barrows’ grandfather who did the work – “handyman” kind of work, not major construction. The painting below apparently hung in Lizzie’s house and Lizzie, so the tale goes, gave Mr. Barrows the painting as partial payment for his labor. Just exactly when this occurred is not known.

Mr. Barrows subsequently brought the actual painting back to Jeff’s house and allowed him to keep it for a while and to photograph it, which are the images you see here. Remarkably, Mr. Barrows stated the painting had been appraised for $8,000.

The handwritten notation on the back of the painting reads as follows:

“This picture framed for the house of Lisbeth and Emma Borden, 306 French St. Fall River, Mass whose father Andrew Jackson Borden and stepmother, Abby Durfee Gray Borden were murdered at their house, 92 Second St., Fall River, Mas, Aug. 4, 1892. The trial was held in June 1893.

Art Supplment to the New York Recorder Sept 30th, 1894, The Knapp Co., Sttr. N.Y.

Famous Paintings of Europe; “Alone” by (unreadable)”

It is very hard to distinquish the lettering in the name of the artist but it appears to be an “L” or “F” and then “V” and Rberg or Aberg. I believe this is a swedish artist. There is a rather famous painting by Dawn Parkinson titled “Alone” showing a lone seagull soaring past a white chaulked cliff. Searching through various artbooks, Googling the name in assorted variations yielded no results. Unfortunately Mr. Barrows was not available for an interview on my most recent visit to Fall River. I’m currently awaiting follow-up from “Cemetery Jeff”. I know several people pursuing this find further as well, so maybe more information will be forthcoming.

The painting certainly evokes meloncholy sadness and makes us wonder what it meant to Lizzie. I can not think it meant a great deal because to just give it away as partial payment to a handyman is not what one would do with a piece of art for which they had a strong emotional attachment. Perhaps this painting was a gift she received rather than a purchase made. Perhaps gazing upon it evoked emotions for an already sad and depressed woman to be even sadder. Maybe it clashed with that garish wallpaper of Victorian times. Who knows. But it’s a great little story, isn’t it?

Andrew Jackson Borden as a Young Man

SPECIAL ADDENDUM:

Well, Shelley Dziedzic has a burr up her butt about me again, so I think a little explanation directed to all the forum members who visit my blog is in order:

First of all, Stef’s find of this AJB portrait is quite remarkable and I would not have known about it had it not been for her own posting of this discovery – the timing of which coincided with my pre-planned visit to Fall River.

Any researcher or Borden enthusiast such as myself would naturally want to actually SEE this portrait, so of course I planned to see it. I took with me Bob Dube, owner of Maplecroft and Ken Champlin. And of course we had pictures taken of ourselves with the portrait as I think, again, any Borden researcher or enthusiast would do his or herself given that the Swansea Historical Society President and Treasurer are allowing photos to be taken of and with the portrait. Lord knows how long they may have possession of the portrait while it CAN be photographed. I’m hopeful their Board will vote to keep it with the Swansea (and not the Fall River) Historical Society. So the window of opportunity of seeing this portrait up close and personal – not to mention FREE – may be very short.

What amazed me was that Shelley did not include a visit to Luther’s Museum with the MuttonEaters group who gathered in Fall River on November 9th – same weekend I was there. Such an arrangement to tour Luther’s could have been made by a simple phone call to Carl Becker. And my guess is that each and every one of those who would have gone would have had their picture taken with the portrait. A nice momento of their trip. So – to use Shelley’s words that I “beat feet” to Luther’s to see this portrait – you bet I did.

I certainly would have included them for a tour of Maplecroft, with Mr. Dube’s approval.

Bob Shaw, me, Don Sykes and Kenneth Champlin

I also heard all about the gathering from Don Sykes who invited me to dinner at Magoni’s Saturday night, as well as others who are mutual acquaintances. I have NOT nor had any need to email any forum members asking about it as Shelley posted. That’s just not true. Don’t need to. But I DID email a forum member whom I met Thursday night at the B&B explaining I couldn’t see his images and could he email them to me. Shelley jumped to conclusions about my intent. I only wanted to see them. Just get the facts straight when you post. It’s what Sherlock or any good sleuth would do.

So once again, for those who do not subscribe to The Hatchet (as I do not) and have no knowledge of any other images or poses in it and have only seen one image of the portrait – here’s more:

After a very late, late arrival back in Payson, I realized I had to be at the Women’s Shelter in the area early this morning where I do volunteer work, so I’m still running on a minimum of sleep. But I wanted to get some pictures up before I hit the bed with a good book.

Thanks to Stef Koorey’s eagle eye in spotting a “bigger than a bread box” ornate framed portrait of Lizzie Borden’s father, we now have it on record – even if it hasn’t been validated, i.e., no documentation. But given all the givens, one can deduce, Sherlock, that it is young Andrew. The Sunday Fall River Herald News article was pushed to this date and partially appears here.

That’s Carl Becker holding the portrait outside Luther’s Museum in the bright sun on a chilly but clear day being photographed – as was happening just as we arrived. (The shrieking sound you hear is from two curators across the bay).

Since very few of the people who read my blog subscribe to the FRHN or The Hatchet, or even go to other blogs, I’m posting more pics here. I know this to be a fact because I get referrals from all over the world and the country and from emails I’m getting these people have only seen the one image posted on the internet so far.

This dual image shows the backside of the frame. Both Carl Becker, Swansea Historical Society President, and Paul Summers, Treasurer have carefully checked and there is no writing or note card or any sort of documentation that would identify the portrait or where it came from.

Below is author and local historian Ken Champlin holding the portrait upright.

So at issue is just where this portrait of a “young Andrew” should reside. The Fall River Historical Society would LOVE to have it adorn the interior walls of their structure. I would imagine the public would see it – at a price – after the tour (when tours are happening) and at the tail end of the tour when they expose visitors, salivating and enduring the waiting for the “main show”, i.e., the Lizzie Borden display. (Michael Martins, Curator, informed Carl Becker he knew just where they would put it. Hopefully, not out of sight – for protective purposes against the light, of course.)

Residing up on The Hill, is one of the last places old Andrew would ever want to spend his days – dead or alive. Yep, Andrew would be happy as a clam if he were “hanging out” at 92 Second Street. The old bird never wanted to leave that place, anyhow. And some think he’s still there.

If it was Henry Gardner (out of Orrin Gardner), who delivered all the Gardner property, he meant for it to remain in Swansea. Perhaps the portrait hung at the Gardner’s Neck Road farmhouse – or perhaps Emma had it in her possession (taking it with her when she left Maplecroft, perhaps?) till the day she died. Whatever the outcome, it is an intriquing portrait. I do think Andrew was younger than 35 in the portrait, however.

Recently placed inside the bookcase on the second floor of the Swansea Historical Society (Luther’s Store & Museum) you see here on the top of the dual image is Orrin Gardner’s autograph book with writings dating as early as 1850. A particularly interesting entry is Emma Borden’s 1881 entry, written when she was 31 years old in flawless penmanship and signed “Emma L. Borden 1881″. It was Ken who pointed out to me: “That’s on the dedication page of my booklet on the history of the Fall River Y.M.C.A.” And indeed it is:

What Emma wrote was verbatim to the above, taken from Hamlet, Act I, Scene III:

“This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

So there it was written by Emma in 1881 and the exact same quote used in 1988, in A Periodical History of The Fall River Y.M.C.A. (1857-1917) by Kenneth Champlin. I know, I know, Shakespeare is quoted a zillion times. But pause to think of it as yet just another tiny thread that further weaves into this wonderfully rich fabric.

Meanwhile, back in the basement of 92 Second Street, the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast:

Ken and myself blocking out the irrelevant wording.

 

LUTHER’S MUSEUM – SWANSEA, MASS.

So now, anyone who Googles Swansea Historical Society, Lizzie’s chairs, Swansea farmhouse, etc. and live a remote distance from Swansea will hopefully land here and get a FREE peek at the chairs and inside the Luther’s Museum. But nothing beats being there, absorbing the ambience and touching these historical artifacts so indigenous to early American history and specifically the history of Swansea and its farming families.  (Additional info follows with the link at the end of the slide show).

On August 3, 2007, Kristin Pepe and myself went to Swansea to visit Luther’s Museum at Luther’s Four Corner’s. For over 20 years I’ve been going past 160 Old Warren Road often stopping to take exterior pictures but never inside. Carl Becker, who lives only a block or two away, offered to open it up any time during my 5 day stay in Fall River.

The historical significance to Borden buffs is that Uncle John Vinnicum Morse stopped off at “Luther’s” after getting some farm fresh eggs at Andrew’s upper farmhouse at 217 Old Warren Road. (And hey, if they had farm fresh eggs on Wednesday night, why did Abby order 5 day old mutton for breakfast? Maybe Andrew wanted them to peddle for a penny more on the street.)

Hearing Mr. Becker relate the history of the area and the people over the decades who came to this store to talk and exchange information, purchase and trade necessities, Swansea comes alive with it’s rich history of the Gardners, the Luthers, the Braytons, etc. It’s much bigger inside than it looks from the outside….the second story is loaded with old furniture, tools, sewing machines, antique photographs and paintings of prominent families of eras gone by.

It is said that the two cane seat and wood chairs pictured here once belonged to Lizzie Borden, but the provenance is a little weak. I have a letter from a minister who knew the Borden girls obtained from his copy of an original Porter (Fall River Tragedy, 1893). In the letter he remarks about Lizzie, post 1905, going to the Swansea farm to see the horses, afterwards sitting in a chair for a while before her driver would take her back to “Maplecroft”. Pretty slim. But maybe they are. I was more impressed with the chair President George Washington sat in, as well as many other objects housed in this unique and wonderful museum operated by the Swansea Historical Society. THANK YOU MR. & MRS. BECKER!

Next time visiting Fall River or the area be sure to visit Luther’s.

(Slide cursor over image for comments. Pause by clicking pause icon.)

FOR MORE ON LUTHER’S MUSEUM

AUGUST 5, 1892 – VICTORIAN MOURNING FOR ABBY & ANDREW BORDEN AT THE LIZZIE BORDEN BED & BREAKFAST

Good print coverage of this successful turnabout from the usual “re-enactments”. (Right click”View image” for bigger picture.)

Lizzie’s antics breaks up a guest (he and his wife spent the night as did the couple shown below).

The parlor, sitting room, front entry and dining room were decorated with victorian mourning consisting of covering mirrors, personal funereal cards, exquisite floral arrangements, floral offerings from close friends and family, prayer cards, printed hymms and prayers. These elaborate additions to the rooms contributed to the deportment of the guests who came…somber, respectful, quiet, almost sullen….But the best was that the “actors” never broke character and did some wonderful ad-libs playing off the individuals from the more than 300 guests. Great stuff!

 

Donald Woods escorts Lizzie and Bridget into the “barn”.
Barbara and JoAnne (Emma and Mrs. Churchill) covering mirrors.
A floral offering from Alice Russell.
A distraught Emma contemplates funeral arrangements, her sister’s state of mind, and the bloody wash basin near her used by so many doctors.

The crowds lined up from around the house, down the driveway and almost to the gift shop. Groups of 25 went in at a time. To make their wait entertaining instead of tedious, I stood on the front steps and used blown up official photographs mounted on poster board to illustrate what the house and both sides of the street – looking north and south – actually looked like in 1892.

Alice Russell tells the guests of her ministrations to Lizzie the day before and how she is spending nights – but not in the guest room – to help the grieving sisters.

Taking a break on the cellar stairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gentleman came dressed to the gills, could have played Undertaker Winward. But actually he was there to present Donald & Lee-ann with an 1892 full edition of August 5, 1892 Fall River Globe newspaper. He represented the Southeastern Mass. Convention & Tourism Bureau of Bristol County. I escorted him into the kitchen and “Emma” and “Mrs. Churchill” immediately played off his amusing intro as “Mr. Swift from the Wasamutta Mill coming to pay respects to Andrew on behalf of the Board of Directors” of which AJB was a member. Hilarious.

 

In my 5 days in Fall River I spent part of two days with the owner of Maplecroft. We had a matter of mutual interest to discuss so I was lucky enough to be invited into his home for several hours. On Sunday, after chatting on the porch (great swing) he invited me to brunch at Abby Grille, the old Central Congregational Church on Rock Street, now a culinary institute. While I had been inside many times, including the church structure, I had never eaten there. Back at French Street, Robert D., the owner of Maplecroft (and there’s only been 4, not counting Charles Allen) showed and explained to me the changes Lizzie made. This was my fourth visit inside but this time I was able to see parts of the house I never had before, such as using the first floor bathroom with the original gas lighting scounce still in place – a different commode and sink of course, but this little bathroom was original to when the house was built.) It is a beautiful home, immaculately kept, and Robert is a gracious host, a true gentleman.

In New Bedford, I met up with my friends Carl and Linda who are staying in Swansea for 6 months while engaged in a grant program at the UMass-Dartmouth Marine campus. We had lunch at Davey’s Locker just around the bend from Fort Taber. It was so hot that day that I just jumped into the Achusnet River, clothes and all! Great to watch the little sailboats, jet skiis, etc. in the water….Loved the feel of the salt water – something we don’t have here in the high desert of Arizona!

Carl Becker, President of the Swansea Historical Society, opened up Luther’s Museum on a day and time it was normally closed and spent over an hour with another new friend, Kristen P. (yes, the Wheaton discoverer) giving us the history of the strucure, the four corners, the artifacts inside. I was more impressed with the big black chair George Washington sat on during the time of the Battle of Monmourth (sp) than I was the aledged chairs of Lizzie Borden. There’s a lot more history to Swansea than that farm house, that’s for sure!!

I’ll be relating more of my Fall River trip later but it was great to see old friends again and, as is usually the case, make some new ones.

 

LUTHER’S MUSEUM HAS LIZZIE BORDEN CHAIRS

Jul. 2nd, 2007

Luther’s Museum is home to the Swansea Historical Society. For over 100 years known as “Luther’s Four Corners”, it is where Uncle John Morse had his evening meal on Wednesday, August 3, 1892. Uncle Morse had retrieved some farm-fresh eggs at Andrew’s Swansea farm on Gardner’s Neck Road, not far away. And it makes a body wonder why left over mutton was served when fresh eggs were on hand that fateful Thursday morning.

If you ask about them, the operators of the Museum will let you see and photograph some chairs purported to have come from the farm house and owned by Lizzie. They have accommodated many people who’ve heard about the chairs and delight in having their picture taken with “something that belonged to Lizzie.”

Above images from (click here)
The images below are my own.

The “Luther Museum” structure has an engraving outside which explains the history and importance of the Luther family to Swansea.

Tags: faye musselman, gardner’s neck road, luther’s museum, swansea