Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was an American woman tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892, axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
No one else was charged in the murders, and despite ostracism from other residents, Borden spent the remainder of her life in Fall River. She died of pneumonia at age 66, just days before the death of her sister, Emma.
The murders and trial received widespread publicity throughout the United States and, along with Borden herself, they remain a topic in American popular culture to the present day. They have been depicted in numerous films, theatrical productions, literary works, and folk rhymes, and are still very well-known in the Fall River area.
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Early Life:
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The Borden household at 92 Second Street in Fall River, Massachusetts
Lizzie Andrew Borden was born July 19, 1860, in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Sarah Anthony (née Morse; 1823–1863) and Andrew Jackson Borden (1822–1892). Her father, who was of English and Welsh descent, grew up in very modest surroundings and struggled financially as a young man, despite being the descendant of wealthy and influential local residents. He eventually prospered in the manufacture and sale of furniture and caskets, then became a successful property developer. He was a director of several textile mills and owned considerable commercial property; he was also president of the Union Savings Bank and a director of the Durfee Safe Deposit and Trust Co. At his death his estate was valued at $300,000 (equivalent to $9,000,000 in 2020).
Despite his wealth, Andrew was known for his frugality. For instance, the Borden home lacked indoor plumbing although that was a common accommodation for wealthy people at the time. It was in an affluent area, but the wealthiest residents of Fall River, including Andrew's cousins, generally lived in the more fashionable neighborhood, "The Hill", which was farther from the industrial areas of the city and much more homogeneous racially, ethnically and socioeconomically.
