Razing the Leary Press: A Photo Essay

by Mark Amarantes

all photos are by Mark Amarantes

First published in June/July, 2005, Volume 2, Issue 3, The Hatchet: Journal of Lizzie Borden Studies.

Mark’s Photo Journal

When I first got the assignment to take photos of the demolition (razing?) of the Leary Press, I knew that I was in for a special treat. It’s not often that I’m asked to take photos of something being torn down. Birthday parties sure, weddings, occasionally, bat mitzvah’s one, but the demolition of that “eyesore” stuck on the side of the B&B like a mole on your Aunt Mary’s neck, this is my first. It is also my favorite assignment so far in my quest to be a world renown photographer. OK, maybe not world renown but at least famous enough to get a few free perks from companies like film, camera accessories, fashion models.

 Seriously, this assignment was special for me because it involved something that I’m passionate about—Lizzie and anything related. To any Lizzie buff and especially anyone growing up in Fall River, these are exciting times. Not only will the B&B continue to be opened to the public, the new owners have made it their mission to faithfully reproduce as closely as possible what the infamous house on Second Street looked like back in 1892, including the building of a barn where the old barn stood and a garden in the south side yard. Who knows, maybe we’ll see a pear tree or two!

I can remember being an overly-curious 12-year-old trying desperately to peek in the windows of the Borden home when one could only wonder what the inside looked like. Now one can sleep in the same room Lizzie may or may not have stayed up late at night in plotting the demise of her parents. What’s more is that now, when someone looks at the Borden house without the anchor that was the Leary Press, they will get a feel of what it must have looked like on that hot, humid day way back in 1892.

  It was my pleasure to photographically record the demise of the Leary Press and I hope you have as much fun viewing the photos as I did taking them. Enjoy!

April 27, 2005

I stopped by the house this morning at around 7:15 AM. There wasn’t really anything going on except a few people standing outside the Leary Press looking up and down the street like they were waiting for someone. This went on until about 8:30 am when a big truck carrying a roll-off dumpster pulled up with a few sleepy-eyed workmen inside. Shortly thereafter, another truck pulled up pulling a Bobcat (sm. Tractor, not feline animal). They all alighted and mulled around until about 9:30 AM. At around 9:35 AM, the workmen took the Bobcat off the trailer and pulled it into the garage. A few minutes later, the roll-off truck backed into the driveway and placed the dumpster in front of the garage. It looked like the plan was to clean out some of the garage and Leary press with the Bobcat. I hung around until around 10:30 AM. I left for home to recharge my batteries and grab a mid-morning snack. I returned at around 1:30 PM to find two men on the roof of the garage pulling some gutter flashing away from the house. The dumpster was missing from the scene so I’m not sure if they filled it and took it to be emptied or what.

I hung around long enough to get propositioned by a local hooker and to see that nothing much was going on. I left for home (WITHOUT the hooker). I picked up my rugrat at school and came home to type this. I don’t think that this demolition is going to be like the TV show that my wife loves to watch where the cute looking, bare chested hunk named By or Ty gathers up 300 local-yokels and they pull the place down with brute force, determination, and plenty of testosterone!

This one is going to take a few days. I’ll stop back by the house for a hour and a half and see how were progressing. Hopefully tonight the weather will clear up and there will be a photo or two to take.

When I leave for work tomorrow morning, I’ll stop by again and do the same.

Til the next report, Mark

April 28, 2005

Houston. . . . We have demolition. I repeat, we have demolition.

April 29, 2005

And the demolition continues . . . 

May 2, 2005

I drove by the house on my way home from work today and it didn’t look like anything happened today. It looks like they cleaned out some of the wreckage that they left on Friday and finished knocking down the main support beam in the garage. I didn’t even bother pulling over to get a few shots because it looked like it would have been the same photo I took Fri.

May 3, 2005

I stopped by the house today and took a few more photos. The whole back of the house is visible including some of the old slate blue-gray clapboard. I actually knocked on the door and asked someone inside if I could go in the back and take a few shots which they graciously allowed. Any questions as to which shot is what or where please let me know. Enjoy!

May 9, 2005

I stopped by the house today and took a few more photos. The demolition is pretty much complete. The south side is gone and just needs some cleaning up. They are starting to patch up the missing clapboard and do the rest of the repairs. P.S. What do you think of the bars on the basement windows? Were they put there by Lizzie?

May 14, 2005

Never trust your sources. My brother was at the bus terminal the other day and he calls me and tells me that they are putting up the new barn over at the B&B. I race over there today only to find the “Barn” is an addition to the white three-family that abuts the B&B at the NE corner. It’s a shed or sun room that this guy is adding on to his house. So much for the barn raising. I only took a few shots today because wouldn’t ya know it, as soon as I pull up and get out, it starts to drizzle.