The Lizzie Borden House: A Haunting Legacy

By Juniper Ravenwood, Producer of The Shadow Frequency May 27, 2025

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts, stands as a grim monument to one of America’s most infamous unsolved mysteries. On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered in their home, hacked to death with a hatchet in a crime that shocked the nation. The prime suspect, Andrew’s daughter Lizzie, was acquitted, leaving the case unresolved and the house steeped in a dark legacy. Today, as a bed-and-breakfast and museum, it’s known as one of the most haunted places in America, where the echoes of that bloody day linger in every creak and shadow.

The murders were as gruesome as they were perplexing. Andrew, a wealthy but frugal businessman, was struck ten times while napping on a parlor sofa. Upstairs, his wife Abby suffered nineteen blows in the John V. Morse Room, her body left sprawled on the floor. The house itself, with its claustrophobic layout—rooms opening directly into each other, no hallways—feels like a trap for both the living and the dead. Lizzie’s trial captivated the public, fueled by family tensions over inheritance and her strained relationship with her stepmother. The rhyme, “Lizzie Borden took an axe…,” cemented her infamy, but the truth remains elusive.

What makes the Borden House truly chilling is the paranormal activity reported by those who dare to visit. Guests describe waking in the night to the feeling of hands around their throats, particularly in Abby’s murder room. In the parlor, where Andrew died, heavy footsteps echo when no one is there. One visitor, Roger Clawson, shared a terrifying experience from his 2024 stay: “I was in the John V. Morse Room when I heard a woman whisper my name. My phone, which was off, started playing static, and a voice said, ‘Get out.’ I felt the air turn ice-cold.” Others report seeing a figure in a blood-stained dress in the room’s mirror or hearing children’s laughter in the attic, despite no children living there in 1892.

Paranormal investigators flock to the house, armed with EMF detectors and spirit boxes. In 2023, one team captured an EVP—a ghostly voice—saying, “I’m still bleeding,” when asked who was present. Toys in the maid’s room move on their own, and chairs rock without a touch. The basement, described as a vortex of energy, sends equipment haywire. The house’s current owner, Lance Zaal, leans into its haunted reputation, offering ghost tours and overnight stays, complete with eerie touches like a mannequin in Abby’s room. Yet, the real terror comes from the unseen forces that seem to feed on the house’s tragic history.

Some skeptics argue that the hauntings could be psychological, with the house’s grim story priming visitors to imagine spectral encounters. But the sheer volume of reports—from orbs floating above the sofa to whispers in empty rooms—suggests something more. The Lizzie Borden House is a place where trauma has left an indelible mark, a time capsule of violence and betrayal. Whether it’s Abby’s spirit reliving her final moments or Lizzie herself, forever bound to the scene of her infamy, the house refuses to let go of its past.

Would you spend a night in the John V. Morse Room, knowing what happened there? Visit shadowfrequencypodcast.com to listen to Episode 117, where we dive deeper into the Borden House’s hauntings, and share your own spooky stories at shadowpodcast@protonmail.com. The spirits of Fall River are waiting.