Maplecroft

[MysteryReader]

I saw on Facebook that Maplecroft has a new owner? Does anyone know of this?

[mbhenty]

Not completely true.

[mbhenty]

As I have said many, many, many times before. Just because its in the newspaper does not make it true.

There's a purchase agreement... that's all. Legally, everything is pending. Not a sure thing. The house has not even been inspected as of yet. I still have all my things stored in the garage. As a matter of fact, I was in the garage today working on an old fireplace mantle I have stored there.

So... we will see.

[mbhenty]

Opps, wrong thread.

[MysteryReader]

Thanks, Mbhenty!

[mbhenty]

You welcome, Mystery!

I've been informed that I must vacate Maplecroft's garage before the 15th of January. Thus, if anything is known for certain it will be soon. In the event that the deal does not go through, I hope to remain there a little longer. It's a convenient place for me to do some of my carpentry work and stay out of the 'real' cold', and my little personal connection to Lizzie World.

[twinsrwe]

Wow, just read the article in The Herald News that states Maplecroft is sold to Donald Woods, co-owner of the B&B on Second Street. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/ycfdw8cb

[mbhenty]

Yes Twins: He sounds like he really wants it. The sale is pending, that is to say, he hasn't bought it yet and can back out in the next couple of weeks. He still needs to do an inspection on the house. The sign out front now says "PENDING". Which means just that. I see no reason why it should fail inspection. I know everything that is wrong with that house. I've been in and out of it enough times. I don't really see any problems which may kill the sale. Of course there is the back porch.... but what you see is what you get. Structurally, Maplecroft is intact.

The proprietor was out today and I had to go inside and check the boiler, make certain it was working ok since we have had single number temperatures. While there, and when I was done, I sat in the living room and let the house speak to me. It was really toasty. Maplecroft has steam heat. Steam heat has a certain thermal, fleecy feel. Cast Iron Radiators. There is also a slight redolence of comfort you don't get with forced hot air. Most of the noises I heard came from the cast iron radiators, snapping, clicking, clacking, etc. Some of the wood floors were snapping and ticking. This was caused by the difference between the colder cellar and warmer living area. I love sitting there just listening. Letting the house talk to me. Of course, I don't talk back. The day I do it's time to go and sit at 92 Second Street.

Also, I will sit on the steps, just short of the second floor, and admire Lizzie's round stairway stained glass window. My favorite room is the front bedroom. The one that faces the street with its beautiful embroiled steel ceiling. It faces South and is the sunniest room in the house and very large. It's the room with the tower portion that protrudes from the front of the building. I call it the Sun Room.

[mbhenty]

When I was a little boy I remember going to church in the middle of the day. It was a time when churches would leave there doors unlocked. I remember walking into the church as the heavy door slammed behind me and thunderously echoed off every sacred rafter and arched church ceiling beam. Then quiet. Absolute silence.

All the street traffic and noises died away. Harsh sunlight became muted, pale, and shadowy. Iike climbing back into the womb. It was a serenity and tranquility I could find nowhere else. I would sit there, all of 10 years of age, and contemplate God, the world, mother superior, school, friends, myself, and of course prayer.

Quiet. Quiet. Quiet!

Then you would hear an unexpected echoed bang as someone in the building, usually behind the alter, slammed a door. The echo would reflect off the ceiling and fade ever so quietly. One sound that always stuck with me was the sound of women's feet. When I heard it behind me I was always fearful to look back. Afraid that it was the Mother Superior. The only time my solitude was violated was when Father Andrade would make an appearance and insist that I take confession. I would object, telling him that I had not sinned. Of course he would convince me that I just did by lying to him.

But I remember the Quiet. The tranquility. That is what I feel when I sit in Maplecroft's Living room. That is the consciousness I come into. A sense of peace. It's like a church. In the end it probably has a lot more to do with me then the actual house. I'm afraid that once it is sold all that will go away

[mbhenty]

Just "Pending".

(Above I speak about all the little noises I hear at Maplecorft. This is not uncommon. If you sit in your own home, preferably late at night, when it is absolute quiet, you too may hear noises you never noticed. Some may seem loud but not be loud at all. Even New homes do this. But this is Maplecroft. And to the listener, every little noise made is exaggerated in sound and occurrence. Especially in a house with cast iron steam heat radiators.)

[twinsrwe]

When I was a little boy I remember going to church in the middle of the day. It was a time when churches would leave there doors unlocked. I remember walking into the church as the heavy door slammed behind me and thunderously echoed off every sacred rafter and arched church ceiling beam. Then quiet. Absolute silence.

All the street traffic and noises died away. Harsh sunlight became muted, pale, and shadowy. Iike climbing back into the womb. It was a serenity and tranquility I could find nowhere else. I would sit there, all of 10 years of age, and contemplate God, the world, mother superior, school, friends, myself, and of course prayer.

Quiet. Quiet. Quiet!

Then you would hear an unexpected echoed bang as someone in the building, usually behind the alter, slammed a door. The echo would reflect off the ceiling and fade ever so quietly. One sound that always stuck with me was the sound of women's feet. When I heard it behind me I was always fearful to look back. Afraid that it was the Mother Superior. The only time my solitude was violated was when Father Andrade would make an appearance and insist that I take confession. I would object, telling him that I had not sinned. Of course he would convince me that I just did by lying to him.

But I remember the Quiet. The tranquility. That is what I feel when I sit in Maplecroft's Living room. That is the consciousness I come into. A sense of peace. It's like a church. In the end it probably has a lot more to do with me then the actual house. I'm afraid that once it is sold all that will go away

Wow, MB. Just reading what you have posted here, drew me into a state of pure tranquility! Thank you for being the kind of writer who can make a reader feel as though they are being drawn into the very essence of what you are relaying to them.

You are such a lucky man to be able to sit in the living room of Maplecroft and absorb the quietness of the place. You may be right in thinking that the sense of peaceful tranquility probably has a lot more to do with you than Maplecroft itself, but still…

I sincerely hope that you don't lose something which gives you such pleasure in quiet peaceful tranquility, that Maplecroft brings to you.

[mbhenty]

Very kind and considerate of you Twins to comment on my words.

Yes, I got a little carried away there trying to get my point across. Yes, it was the silence I remembered as an innocent Catholic lad, when entering the church. It was a peace and repose that I experienced in very few places. The church was called Espirito Santo Church and sat just off the shores of the Quequechan River in the middle of a Portuguese/French neighborhood.

Now, when the owner of Maplecroft takes a trip or is away for a day or two, I check on Maplecroft to make certain the heat is on and that everything is kosher. When I do I sit and have a quiet moment. The quiet of the house reminds me of my visit to church when I was a little boy. And yes, when at Maplecroft I do use the 'quiet time' to engage in prayer. But that's just me. When out in the middle of the ocean on my boat I do the same. They are special places. The church, the ocean, Maplecroft...... again, to me.

When Maplecorft is sold there may be those who will summon the spirits, Lizzie's maids, Emma, Tetrualt, Laddie Miller, Donald Stuart, Royal Nelson, Gertrude Lamson, etc., and that will be a sad thing... if it does indeed happen. Second Street has become a haunted fun house. The essence of the history and narrative is lost to ghost chasing. But, hey, whatever pumps your whistle!

To me Maplecorft is a home. A very special place. Kristee Bates has made it so. Not since Lizzie Borden has the house been so divinely virtuous. Not only did Kristee put her heart into the project, she made love to that building. It appeared to me that her work had more to do with a revered mission than a functional purpose. She was obsessed in bringing it back. Opening it as a bed and breakfast always took second place to the arduous devotion she spilled into Maplecroft. One needs only to look at the photos on the realty site for Maplecroft to discover that it is exemplar and museum caliber.

If the Second Street house is a Netherworld, than Maplecroft is a Sanctuary. And it was just that to Lizzie Borden.That is why she stayed and died there. Maplecroft was her triumph, her adoring abode. I say this not because I admire Lizzie Borden or have any notable fondness for her, but because I have studied her extensively and written about her. Not to be ignored, Maplecroft is a significant historical residence, and not only because Lizzie Borden made it her home, but for its archival architecture, authentic design, and as a Victorian model.

So there!

Wish I could say what's on my mind in a word or two. I suppose it's just not me.

[mbhenty]

I try not to pry, but the sale of Maplecroft must be progressing well. Today the property was being surveyed. If it has made it this far it usually means that there is an agreement between the buyer, seller, and bank.

[mbhenty]

The way it looks now, Maplecroft could have a new owner in less than a week. We will see.

Until then you can take a virtual tour of the interior of Maplecroft from the realtors site.

Real Neat.

I've never taken one in the computer. Not very computer savvy. To tell you the truth, Stefani had to walk me through it, like she does with many things in this typing machine. You just keep clicking on the photo and you can actually take a virtual walk, step by step, through the entire building. Cool. Of course millennials are rolling their eyes at this moment , and thats OK. I'm a baby boomer and my clan delved in more corporal affairs.... we're not so "hard driven".

enjoy

https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sale ... r-ma-02720

[twinsrwe]

MB, thank you for letting us know the status of Maplecroft being sold; I have been wondering… I also want to thank you for providing us with a link to the virtual tour(s) of Maplecroft’s interior! I truly enjoyed the tour!

I have said before that Kristee Bates put a lot of time and money into restoring Maplecroft, and I must say that she has done a magnificent job. The rooms are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Kristee was very detailed in her restorations; an excellent example of this is in a couple of the photos you can see a chamber pot under the bed. Brilliant, and very much a part of life in the Victorian Era!

[twinsrwe]

MB, I have a couple of questions:

Was there a photo of Lizzie’s Library in the virtual tour?

There is a photo of the fireplace mantel with the inscriptions of ‘And old time friends and twilight plays, And starry nights, and sunny days, Come trooping up the misty ways, When my fire burns low.’ Please correct me is I am mistaken, but, I thought this mantel was missing or sold. Here is the thread I obtained that information from: http://tinyurl.com/y9cmlvuq So, now you can see why I was surprised to see that the inscription is actually craved in the wood. The only pictures I have ever seen of that mantel appeared to be a shiny metal. Did Kristee have the mantel redone?

Furthermore, was the mantel with the inscription of ‘At Hame In My Ain Countrie’ in the virtual tour? The only pictures I have seen of this inscription are partials of the mantel; I sure wish I could see the entire mantel with that inscription.

[mbhenty]

Good day Twins:

Yes, if you like to take the tour off the real estate site you best do so in the next couple of days. It things go as planned the house should be sold by Wed. Once the house is sold the site could or most likely will be taken down.

The virtual 3D tour is really, really, cool. That's cool with 2 'reallys'.

Yes, both fireplaces are in place.

Now, when you take the 3D walking tour you do so by going in the front door. As soon as you are in the house take a left and go up the front stairwell that leads to the 2nd floor. Once you get to the top of the stairs there's a room (doorway) right in front of you. That is the "supposed library" room. If you walk into the library (which is now a bedroom) there are a pair of swinging doors to the left. This leads into another bedroom or sitting room. The "My Ain Countrie" mantel is in that room. You can go in and see it.

Now, if you get to the top of the stairs and take a right instead of going straight, you will discover a pair of glass swinging doors. Through these doors is the other fireplace mantle. This room is set up as a bedroom. The fireplace mantel is right in front of you as you enter the room. It is a long room which takes up the entire length of the front of the house. (on the second floor) This is the room which has the fireplace mantel which says, "And old time friends... etc.

No one really knows whether Lizzie had these fireplaces put in place or whether Charles Allen did when he built the house. Allen could have been of Scottish stock since the surname Allen, Allan, can be considered Scottish or English. In any event these fireplaces were believed to be stock items that one could purchase for a catalogue. They were most likely factory engraved and delivered as such.

On another note: No one can really say which room was the library. But it has always been accepted that the room right at the top of the stairs was the library. Not counting Lizzie's summer room over the back porch, there are 4 rooms on the second level. Two have fireplaces. One room, to the left when you get to the top of the stairs, is a very sunny west facing bedroom. This was always believed to be Emma's room. But who really knows. My favorite room is the front room along the front of the house and on the second floor. A real long room with the square tower that faces the street. Very sunny, since it faces South. I get good vibes in that room. It has the fireplace with " And old time friends and.....etc.

[mbhenty]

Yes Twins:

In addendum to my post above....

Here are the two fireplaces I mentioned above. Photos taken from the 3D tour on the real estate site. They are two of the six fireplaces that reside at Maplecorft.

The second photo is the "My Ain Countrie" mantel.

They are very similar looking. Similar ceramic tiles. Similar wood. You can almost picture them in a Sears Catalogue as one of 5 fireplace mantels with 5 different carvings and poetic phrases. Could be?


.

[mbhenty]

Here are the remainder of the fireplaces in addition to the ones above:

The first one, Oak, is in the dinning room. The second one is in the living room. The third fireplace is in the foyer. My favorite. and the last red brick fireplace is in the bedroom above the back porch, known as Lizzie's summer room.

[mbhenty]

Yes Twins:

To further comment on your question about the missing fireplaces mantel.

I did a little research with knowing sources.

The fireplace mantel in the front room, the one with the long poem, was indeed taken out and made ready for sale by the previous owner of Maplecroft. (believe it or not) There was a marble fireplace in its place. When Kristee purchased the property she placed the mantel back where it always lived. Where it belonged. Where it needed to be.

The previous owner, who commented to the Herald News back in 1980 that he was "into historical properties and renovating them" (sic) had the mantel ready for sale but had not got around to it, fortunately.

He sold the stained glass window in the library. It is gone. Who knows what else he had removed and sold. We don't know.

Ok, here it is: The Herald New claimed that "Dube is a contractor specializing in work on older homes."

What a swindling false statement. He was never a contractor. He never renovated older homes. And he did very little to restore Maplecorft in the 35 years he owned it. All he did was turn it into a S---hole. As a lover of historical properties, these words curdle in my mouth as I type them. As a famous politician would say, "sad".

[mbhenty]

I know I go on and on here.

But just to set the record straight, since I mention it in a post above:

The room on the second floor, which had the stained glass window which was sold, was most likely Lizzie's bedroom and not the library which many believed it to be. The library was in fact the room which faced French street, and took up the entire facade of the second floor. It is the only room with double glass doors. It is a grand space, approximately 12 x 30 feet. According to the Fall River Historical Society, Gertrude May Russell, who worked for Lizzie and was her travel companion, occupied a room on the third floor, which was situated in the "southeast corner" of the building. They also state that that room was located over the library. This would make it the room with the double glass doors. Very sunny and bright with 8 large windows. My favorite space in Maplecroft. This makes sense since it looks more like a "library" or sitting room and not a bedroom, like all the rest of the rooms on the 2nd level. Looking this room over, Kristee and I agreed that it was most likely the library.

[twinsrwe]

Wow, MB, you made my day by posting the 'old time friends' and 'My Ain Countrie' fireplace mantels! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Since this is the first time I have seen both of these mantels in full view, I never realized that they are TWINS! I agree with you, they do look as if they could have been from a Sears Catalogue in which there are others to choose from. One thing is for sure, whoever purchased these fireplaces had great taste!

With the exception of the fireplace in the foyer, the other three fireplaces just don’t do much for me. I have to say that the My Ain Countrie fireplace mantel is my favorite, and then the old time friends mantel, and then the wood craved fireplace in the foyer. I have always loved wood with cravings in it. I’ve thought for a long time now that I was born in the wrong era. I am so drawn to the lacey high necked that women wore in 19th century.

[twinsrwe]

… To further comment on your question about the missing fireplaces mantel.

I did a little research with knowing sources.

The fireplace mantel in the front room, the one with the long poem, was indeed taken out and made ready for sale by the previous owner of Maplecroft. (believe it or not) There was a marble fireplace in its place. When Kristee purchased the property she placed the mantel back where it always lived. Where it belonged. Where it needed to be.

The previous owner, who commented to the Herald News back in 1980 that he was "into historical properties and renovating them" (sic) had the mantel ready for sale but had not got around to it, fortunately.

He sold the stained glass window in the library. It is gone. Who knows what else he had removed and sold. We don't know.

Ok, here it is: The Herald New claimed that "Dube is a contractor specializing in work on older homes."

What a swindling false statement. He was never a contractor. He never renovated older homes. And he did very little to restore Maplecorft in the 35 years he owned it. All he did was turn it into a S---hole. As a lover of historical properties, these words curdle in my mouth as I type them. As a famous politician would say, "sad".

Thank you for filling me in on the ‘missing’ fireplace mantel; I appreciate this. I recall hearing about a marble fireplace being put in the place where that mantel was, but I was really afraid that it had been sold. I am so glad that it was still at Maplecroft, and that Kristee had placed the mantel back in its rightful place.

I also want to thank you for posting the newspaper article about Dube. Interesting read, but I had to shake my head while reading it, because I can pick out the falsehoods in it.

[twinsrwe]

I took the 3D tour and agree with you; it is an awesome tour!!! I am surprised that there are so many more rooms that the tour of 44 photos do not show!

I found the third floor rooms very interesting, and inviting – I have always loved odd shaped rooms, and these rooms are not short on being uniquely odd shaped.

Thank you for explaining where to find the 'old time friends' and 'My Ain Countrie' fireplace mantels. I have to agree with you, the room that is your favorite is a very inviting room; I can see why you are drawn to it. I also want to thank you for explaining that your favorite room is actually the library.That makes a lot of sense.

[twinsrwe]

I know I go on and on here. ....

As far as I am concerned, the things you go on and on about are full of extremely valuable information! I always learn a great deal from your posts, and I thank you for the insights.

[InterestedReader]

I've read criticism of the decor from one party, to say the Maplecroft decor looks cost-cutting and inauthentic. I couldn't disagree more. To my own eyes that's a very fine job by this last owner. It looks very in period to me, even though I'm a Brit so I may not be well turned into the materials used in American interiors of the time. But the wallpapers and fabrics seem appropriate, the furniture looks right, and there's a good eye for the colour harmonies. Just from the pictures it seems a very fine recreation,

To be honest, I couldn't say the same of Second St, as the photos show that interior. That seems a ham-fisted attempt at 'olden days' decor and artefacts.

[mbhenty]

Here's an interesting conundrum that I have tried to solve for years. I finally got a picture of it.

When you enter Maplecorft's front door you come to a pair of double oak varnished doors. It is assumed that these were put in place by Lizzie. When Lizzie purchased the house the front porch was and open air porch. Chances are that the double front doors were painted to protect them from the harsh winter weather. I have no proof of this. But it is likely and likely that it was Lizzie who had the doors replaced when she closed in the porch and had the granite steps installed.

Now, the double oak doors have a large door handle lock assembly. On it is the letter "D". It appears that it was altered by someone, changed from a "B" to a "D". I must admit that I blamed Dube for doing this, since his name starts with a "D". It may or may not be something he did. I had forgotten that the house was purchased by Herman David in 1933 after having been vacant for six years. Herman could have changed the Letter which looks like it was a "B". I will do further investigating and try to discover who did such a stupid thing.

Now, tell me. Does it not look like the letter "D" was once really a "B"?

[mbhenty]

door.

[mbhenty]

I love the hinges on Maplecroft's front door.

[mbhenty]

As you enter the two oak doors just off the porch you come to this wonderful foyer ceiling light installed by Kristee. She did have unique taste.

[mbhenty]

On the second level of Maplecroft, just at the head of the back stairwell, is this bathroom. It is the main bathroom on the second floor. Lizzie's bathroom. Rumor has it that this room will be gutted and a new bathroom will be installed to cater to the bugging masses who will stay there.

Now, this little room can definitely be spruced up. It will never look like new but it could be made sanitary, clean, and utmost utilitarian . The ceramic tile is what it is. Looks very dated, used, and tired. But it should not be removed but instead cleaned and re-grouted. To classify such a building as a museum all historical aspects of construction should be saved.

We will see. But for now lets record what the room looks like at this writing.

[mbhenty]

more

[mbhenty]

one more

[mbhenty]

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The other MAPLECROFT B&B

This is Maplecroft B&B in Barre, Vermont. It was built by a Scottish businessman who was in the Granite trade. He built the house with a tower to remind him of the castles back in GB. Not as nice inside as Maplecroft in fall river, but very nicely done on the outside. It has an amazing wonderful decorative slate roof.

Wonderful stunning building.

Barre, Vermont (pronounced Barry) is the granite capitol of the world. Though it is the eight largest city in Vermont its population is less then 10,000. (Or 50,000 in the metro area) Barre's granite is very different from fall river granite which has a raw beauty, red colored, and does not polish well. Excellent for building but not for monument work.

[mbhenty]

here.

[mbhenty]

another.

[mbhenty]

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Hey Twins:

Stefani was mentioning something about a Mr. Butterworth and Maplecroft that didn't make sense to me. Not sure she got the entire story.

The Butterworth house was one of the houses Emma and Lizzie checked out when they were shopping for a home. It is located on High Street, about 3 blocks from Maplecroft.

The widow Butterworth had placed the large upscale Victorian up for sale after her husband hung himself in the back yard. Perhaps this killed the sale. I often wonder what it was about Maplecroft that interested the sisters, since it was inferior when compared to some of the other places they looked over.

Yes, no?

[twinsrwe]

Oh, no, I went back to check out what I had put in my original e-mail to Stefani about Alfred Butterworth, and I see that I was pretty vague. Here is what I wrote: I read on the internet that Alfred Butterworth had committed suicide at Maplecroft by hanging himself, and I wanted to see if that is true.

I can imagine that Stefani was greatly confused by that statement, since she lives next door to Maplecroft, and hadn’t heard anything about it. You’re right, MB, Stefani didn’t have the entire story, because I failed to provide her with it. Please tell Stefani that I am so sorry for the confusion.

Here is the entire story:

I was doing some research on Maplecroft being sold, and decided to check out what ‘the one who is not welcomed on this forum’ had to say. I went into one of her previous articles about the renovations that were being made at Maplecroft. There was a comment submitted to her article, from a guy whose understanding of an 1893 newspaper article, that the French Street house was not only notorious because Lizzie had lived and died there, it was also highly notorious because a previous owner, Alfred Butterworth, had committed suicide there by hanging himself.

Unfortunately, a friend of mine has borrowed my Rebello, and therefore I wanted to use the forum’s search engine to see if there was any information indicating a thread of truth with that person’s understanding. I knew there was a Butterworth connection to Lizzie and Emma, but I was pretty sure he was not a previous owner. I hope this explanation clears up any confusion I caused.

Thank you, MB, for providing us with the background information on the connection between Alfred Butterworth and the Borden sisters.

I have also wondered what is was about Maplecroft that attached the Borden sisters to it.

[mbhenty]

Yep, yep Did some short research to try and discover what sort of work Mr. Butterworth did, since he lived in a very nice house. Could not find it.

(Butterwort house, High Street, fall river, MA, photo below)

I was looking over my post above on the Maplecroft house in Barre VT. For some reason I didn't expect that Barre VT was the fourth largest city in Vermont. Something sounded wrong. (previous research) So I went looking again and there it was. Barre is Vermonts fourth largest city." Wrong.

I should know better. I got it off of Wikipedia. I was surprised that I did not go looking else where. Sometimes I wonder why I go to Wikipedia at all.

Barre Vermont is actually the 8th largest city in Vermont. Corrections to my post above have been made.

[mbhenty]

And while I'm getting technical here. In a post above I used the word 'hung', when I should have used 'hanged.' Mr. Butterworth 'hanged' himself. You could have hung your jacket, your keys, your drapes. But you could not have 'hung' yourself. The word should be 'hanged'.

I know, I know, what a wasted post.

[mbhenty]

It's never to late to discover the truth and amend a mistake.

And I'm one fellow full of amends.

In the post above I display a photo of Alfred Butterworth House. In fact it is NOT the right house. That is the Marie Hicks House. The Burtterworth house is next door. (in the photo below) Why would I suddenly uncover that little bit of crumb.

Well, the Butterworth house is on fire as we speak. And it looks like it's a total loss.

The Butterworth house was considered by Lizzie and Emma when they were shopping for an abode in the posh Highland District and was one of the many houses they toured. Mr. Butterworth hanged himself in 1892 and his wife put the house up for sale. Now there is some dispute to where he hanged himself. Popular belief was in the back yard. The herald News (recent story) said it was somewhere else.

[mbhenty]

SAD

[mbhenty]

The Butterworth house today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxAHnjA74Vw

[mbhenty]

.

[Kat]

That's just terrible!
But thanks for the up-to-date news!
I remember the Butterworth house search reported about Lizzie and Emma because I used to babysit for a Butterworth family in Boston in the early 70's. They were related to Gary Moore. I doubt most members here remember that famous name!

[mbhenty]

Yes:

When you say Gary Moore I think of the guitarist for the legendary 70s band, Thin Lizzy. Remember them. Moore also played on two of Greg Lake's solo albums.

Greg Lake. What a balladist. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. He sung "Lucky Man."

But of course you must mean the old guy, Gary Moore, the actor. I think he had a game show in the 50s or 60s????

Nonetheless:

Below is Greg Lake at his best, singing "C'est la vie. One of the greatest love songs ever written, by one of the most powerful rock Balladeers.

Lyric:

C'est la vie, have your leaves all turn to brown
will you scatter them around you, C'est la vie.

In the night. Do you light a lovers fire
do the ashes of desire for you remain.

Like the sea there's a love to deep to show
took a storm before my love flowed for you, C'est la vie.

Like a song out of tune and out of time
all I needed was a rhyme for you, C'est la vie
do you give, do you live from day to day,
is there no song I can play for you C'set la vie....

I can picture a forlorn Lizzie sitting outside a Paris cafe, all alone, dolefully pondering her shortcomings, lost love, while on her grand tour, just sitting quietly, unescorted, sipping a lemonade by the shade of a maple tree, out of the Paris sun, and listening to Greg Lake and song, C'est la vie—since this melody reminds me so much of her... and the tragic sadness that is Lizzie Andrew Borden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2nMFYBnPG4

[mbhenty]

don't you love when I stray from topic NO

Here is the aftermath of the fire at the Butterworth house and how it looks today. (Thanks for the photos, Stef) It is apparent by these images that the Marie Hicks house next door sustained some damage also. Some exterior and most likely peripheral damage to siding and windows. If in fact the fire got inside it would be unfortunate. That may be unlikely since the siding does not look damaged as such. So it could have been the heat that shattered the windows along with water damage from the fire brigade hosing down the house next door.

Can the Butterworth house be saved. Probably. (?).

But if the damage is that extensive on the inside it may not be worth it. Especially if all the historical architecture has been burnt away. What could be left worth saving. All in all, be prepared to see it demolished. Though if the owner or history has a say, it may not. And history for such places, at least in fall river, must be seated deep in the heart and mind of the owner for it to stand a chance. We shall see.

[Kat]

Nice picture, Stef! And thanks for posting MB. The juxtaposition of the beautiful flowering pink tree dropping spring petals on the partially burned house gives hope for resurgence.

[mbhenty]

Rumor has it that Maplecroft is under agreement and may be sold soon.