Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Can anyone tell me if the Borden Block still stands? If so, what is it been used for today?

It stands but I don't know what is in there now. The ground floor business in the front is a lawyers office- at the famous entrance which is at an angle.

The A.J. Borden Building also stands and a member here whose family member works there or worked there says it's now owned by Travelers Insurance- used to be Aetna.

And what a wonderful building it is, too! Wasn't there a large theater in the Borden Block at one time?
I'm trying to remember if that's the building that had a sign in one of the windows advertising The Fall River Philanthropical Burial Society. I sw that sign after just arriving in Fall River and said to myself (with a shudder): "this is MY kind of place!"

Wow! This is a name that brings back memories. The Fall River Philanthropical Burial Society. My parents had this insurance. I think it was 50 cents or $1 a year premium, and they came to your house to collect. It payed the $250-$300 that it used to cost to dig the grave in the cemetery.

Borden Block as it is today (11/5/05) as St. Paul's-Travelers:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0365.jpg

Looking up Anawan Street towards So. Main (that's the restored Academy Building across the street):
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0370.jpg

View of 195 and Braga Bridge from parking lot behind building:
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/ ... 0_0371.jpg

Andrew sure had a sense of location!

Thanks for the current shots of home, Cynthia. Nice to get an update now and then.

Gramma

Very nice pictures nbcatlover. I especially like the one of the bridge. I set that one as my wallpaper, I hope that's ok. You can also just get a glimpse of Battleship Cove off in that one. It really makes me want to go back there looking at pictures like that!

Again, great pictures! I hope you are having fun because this is sure a Treat!

To be clear, when you say:
"Borden Block as it is today (11/5/05) as St. Paul's-Travelers"
-- that is the A.J. Borden building.
And "The Academy Building" (as it's called) is "The Borden Block," correct?

I went to Fall River to go to the Uniform Company in the Tower Mill Outlet to buy a better stethoscope for clinical. I forgot my credit cards (and my driver's license) and they wouldn't take a check without an ID, so I figured, what the heck...I had my camera and I was there!

Oh great- a nurse who forgets her credit cards and drivers license when she goes to buy a stethoscope!

They say there is a purpose for everything. Perhaps the mission was actually to get the pictures, not the stethoscope! Glad she completed the real mission!

Gramma

I agree!
I'm razzing Cynthia!

Very nice pictures, Cynthia. You and Mark A. are doing a great service to the readers of the forum who don't live as close as we do.

Thanks,

Chris is absolutely right ! Those of us who are "out of state" Bordenites, appreciate all that you locals do for us.


Tracy...

http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricpl ... state.html

The Academy was the Borden block--here are some of the architectural details:









Glad I looked at that National Register--now I have to check out the David M. Anthony (the dad) House on N. Main.

Unfortunately, St. Paul's-Travelers was closed when I was there. They have a very large poster of the street the way it "was" on the wall. I tried to take a photo through the glass.



I'd love to get a better look at the original.

Thank you Cynthia for the photos. And do try to follow up on that photo that you took through the window.

And let me add my THANKS to all the locals who do so much for us all. We envy you!

Great photos, nbcatlover! Thanks for sharing!

enjoyed the photos, thank you

Hi all - I was wondering about the AJ Borden Building & Borden Block and did find the thread here about them. Unfortunately, I was too late to see nbcatlover's photos that were posted. Are recent pics of these buildings available anywhere for viewing?

Thanks a bunch!

Hi Andrea--I ran out of memory on my computer and on my Photobucket account so I had to clean out a lot of stuff. Reloaded these photos for you.

Borden Block as of Nov. 5, 2005





Academy Building - Nov. 5, 2005



I'm not sure if these were the exact photos posted earlier, but they are in the same mode.

Hi Cynthia!
The first 2 photos are of the Andrew J. Borden Building.

You're right, Kat.



Here's the central entrance to the Academy Building (restored).

Oh thank you!! It's so neat to see the pics! I'm glad there are still some buildings left with connections to the Borden case - it seems so many no longer exist. I'd like to visit Fall River someday, but until then these pics and the photo gallery on the LB site serve very nicely as a substitute! Thanks again!

Thanks for fixing that Cynthia! Good pics. I love the foyer!

Thank you so much for reloading the pictures of the AJ Borden Building. As I live near Chicago, it may be a long time before I ever get to Fall River on my pilgrimage. The building is still impressive looking and I imagine 100 yrs ago was very impressive. Do you know what it cost to build originally? Didn't Lizzie buy Emma's share of the building? Thanks again for sharing with us "out of towners".

Rebello, 56:
Andrew J. Borden Building


The Andrew J. Borden Building was located at the northwest corner of South Main and
Anawan Streets. It was designed and constructed by Joseph M. Darling (1835-1918), a local architect. Construction of the three-story Victorian commercial building began in 1889. A building permit (# 120) was issued on May 27, 1889, for $35,000 for a brick store and offices, steam heat, 90' x 70'. The original facade was a deep red pressed brick with metal cast trim. The entrance was through a narrow central bay between two cast iron storefronts.
It was at this site in 1844 that Borden & Almy and later Borden, Almy & Wood (1864) and Wood & Hall (1883) conducted their business. Mr. Almy died in 1885. "Two years later Andrew Borden bought out Mr. William Almy's share of the business from his estate.
In 1890-1892, several businesses and organizations were the first to occupy the new Andrew J. Borden Building. ETC...

...
A two-story addition was constructed to the back of the structure in 1892. A building permit (#240) was issued on November 21, 1892, to the Estate of Andrew J. Borden, for a
40' x 50' addition for $3,400. The addition was demolished in 1981 when the Aetna Insurance Building was built. The building survived four fires: 1893, 1905, 1916, and 1928. Lizzie formed a partnership with her half interest in the building with Jacob Dondis, April 14, 1924.
After the death of Emma and Lizzie in 1927, the Andrew J. Borden Building continued to undergo renovations and transitions as new owners occupied the building. In 1981, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the facade of the Andrew J. Borden Building became part of the new Aetna Insurance Office Building Complex.

Thanks Kat. That was very interesting. Imagine having $35K in 1892 dollars to build that building! It must have been a showplace and very impressive to Victorian Fall River.

Imagine being Lizzie just back from her European trip (Fall, 1890), and getting Emma's big bedroom and a building with her father's name on it!

Was the 1893 fire accidental or arson? I wonder if this was some sort of revenge taken by an angry person? Tell me I'm wrong.