Lizzie Borden Society Forum

For those interested.

The photo below shows 2 views of the rear (east end) of the Borden house. The photo on the left was taken approx. at the time of the crimes. The one on the right was taken by MarkA. at the time of the demolition of the Leary Press building.

The only set of windows that remained the same was the two on the attic floor. The left one is the one in Bridget's room, the right one at the time of the crimes was in the small bedroom where Morse often slept. Today that window would be in the attic bathroom.

On the second floor the window to Mr. & Mrs. Borden's room is the same. The right window is gone. That was originally in the 2nd floor pantry when it was a two apartment building. That pantry was later converted to a closet at the time of the crimes.

The first floor has been changed, the kitchen window being shifted to the right. That may have had something to do with the construction of the Leary Press building.

Lee Ann is planning to restore the rear outside shutters in the future. The sitting room and the Kelly side kitchen windows are original and will be retained. The south side kitchen window was put back in when the press was knocked down. It had been a doorway space down into the office.

Actually I can just make out the shadow of where the old kitchen window was. I think the only original windows left are the sittingroom and kitchen-and that because the Leary Press wall was only a foot away from them for so many years. I am not sure if when LeeAnn put back the other kitchen window where the Leary Press door used to be, she had the original window or not- will check on that.

Yes, the shifting of the kitchen window was due to the press wall, and the big second floor window was done away with when it became a bathroom.
I recall how dreary it was doing dishes in the sink and looking out that teeny kitchen window before the press came down.

In The Hatchet, June/July 2005, with a bit of history on the renovations done to the house, there is this: "...where the big stove is now situated there was the McGinn's kitchen table and chairs, and a window was added over the sink on the east back wall."

The source was Bill Pavao. I believe that window was added in his lifetime.

Could it be possible that the windows to the two pantries were false windows like the one on the Kelley side of the house at the foot of the stairs? Unless there was some fear of food spoilage in the first floor pantry due to the sun and heat, wouldn't it be easier to find things in there with the shutters open? I'm thinking that because of the more current photo by Mark that there doesn't appear to be evidence that there was a window there on the second floor pantry. Yes, granted it could have been taken out and covered over, but, I can't tell if the clapboards are cut to fill in the space.


photo from LBVM&L site.