Following Lizzie Borden’s Story from New Bedford to Fall River
On July 24, 2026, we set out to visit several locations and graves connected to the Borden murders and the trial of Lizzie Borden. Our itinerary took us from New Bedford to Fall River, following a trail of courthouses, historic buildings, family connections, and cemetery markers. Some stops brought us to familiar places, while others gave us an opportunity to explore the lives of people whose names often appear in discussions of the case.
We spent the entire day filming at several locations, including a few we had never visited before. When it came time to edit the footage and write this blog post, we decided to bring the whole day together in one video and blog entry. It was a day to remember, and we are so glad we captured it all and can share the experience with you.
Beginning at the Courthouse in New Bedford
Our first stop was the Bristol County Superior Court in New Bedford, where Lizzie Borden stood trial for the murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden. Visiting the courthouse brought us to the setting of the legal proceedings that made her name famous far beyond Fall River.
When discussing the Borden case, so much attention naturally falls on the house where the murders occurred. Standing outside the courthouse gave us a chance to consider another important part of the story. This was where witnesses testified, attorneys challenged the evidence, and the jury ultimately found Lizzie not guilty.
Our next stop was the Bristol County Jail, where Lizzie stayed while her trial was taking place. Visiting the courthouse and jail during the same morning helped connect the public proceedings with the confinement she experienced while awaiting their outcome.
After our stops in New Bedford, we headed to Fall River to continue exploring the people and places associated with the case.
Finding Dr. William Dolan
Our first destination in Fall River was St. Patrick’s Cemetery, where we visited the grave of Dr. William Dolan. As the medical examiner involved in the investigation, Dolan examined Andrew and Abby Borden’s bodies and later testified about his findings.
His grave was an important stop because the medical evidence became a major part of the case. Questions about the victims’ injuries, the timing of their deaths, and the possible murder weapon all depended on the work of the physicians who examined them.
Taking time to visit Dolan’s grave also reflected our goal for the day. We wanted to look beyond Lizzie herself and remember some of the other people whose lives became connected to the murders.
The Historical Society and Lizzie’s Church
Next, we stopped by the Fall River Historical Society. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations, so we could not explore inside. We did take the opportunity to get some pictures before continuing our route.
Our next location was the Central Congregational Church, where Lizzie taught Sunday school. This stop brought us to a part of her life that can easily become overshadowed by the murders and trial. Before she became the subject of national headlines, Lizzie had a place in the religious and social life of Fall River.
We also went inside Miss Lizzie’s Coffee House, which occupies part of the church. We picked up an iced tea and spent some time looking around. It was a welcome break during our busy day and a chance to enjoy the building while thinking about its connection to Lizzie.
A Return to the Borden House
Of course, we had to stop by the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast again. This time, we only went into the gift shop, making it a shorter visit than our previous overnight stay.
Returning to the property brought back memories of our time inside the house. Even with a full itinerary, it felt right to include the place at the center of the story we had been following all day.
From there, we made our way back to Oak Grove Cemetery. We had visited before, but this time we planned to spend more time finding the graves of people connected to the investigation, the trial, and the extended Borden family.
The Investigators and Witnesses at Oak Grove Cemetery
One of our stops was the grave of Rufus B. Hilliard, the Fall River city marshal who headed the police department during the murder investigation. Hilliard played a central role in the searches of the Borden home and the investigation that led to Lizzie’s arrest. His connection to her came through his official duties, making him one of the principal law enforcement figures in the case.
We also visited Joseph Hyde, a Fall River police officer assigned to guard the Borden property after the murders. Hyde became a witness because he observed Lizzie and her friend Alice Russell entering the cellar on the evening following the killings. His testimony described Lizzie’s movements near the area where clothing removed from the victims had been placed.
Another stop was the grave of John Fleet, Fall River’s assistant city marshal. Fleet helped search the house and questioned Lizzie about her movements on the morning of the murders. He later testified about her account of being in the barn and about the handleless hatchet examined during the investigation. Visiting the graves of these officers brought us closer to the people responsible for gathering evidence and recording statements in the days after the killings.
We also sought out Dr. Seabury W. Bowen, the Bordens’ physician and a neighbor who lived across Second Street. Bowen came to the house after the murders were discovered and was among the first physicians to examine the victims. His familiarity with the family and his presence during the immediate aftermath made him an important witness.
Family Connections and an Earlier Tragedy
Hiram Harrington’s connection to Lizzie was personal. He was her uncle by marriage, having married Andrew Borden’s sister, Lurana. His name appears in discussions of tensions within the family, and his comments after the murders helped fuel interest in Lizzie’s relationship with her father. His grave reminded us that the case drew attention to private family disagreements as well as physical evidence.
We also visited the graves of Lawdwick Borden, Eliza Borden, and their children. Lawdwick was a brother of Lizzie’s paternal grandfather, making him her great-uncle. Eliza was Lizzie’s great-aunt by marriage.
Their family suffered a terrible tragedy in 1848, years before Lizzie was born. Eliza drowned two of their young children, Eliza Ann and Holder, in a cistern before taking her own life. Their oldest daughter, Maria, survived. Standing at their graves brought us to a separate and heartbreaking chapter in the Borden family’s history, one that deserves to be remembered with care.
Southard H. Miller provided another connection to the family’s earlier years. Miller was a builder and longtime acquaintance of Andrew Borden who had employed him as a carpenter. He also built the Second Street house that eventually became the Borden home. As a neighbor and Dr. Bowen’s father-in-law, Miller was connected to both the building and the people who lived around it.
The Legal Figures Behind the Case
At Andrew Jennings’s grave, we remembered an attorney whose relationship with the Bordens began before the murders. Jennings had served as Andrew Borden’s lawyer and knew the family. When Lizzie needed legal representation, he became her attorney and helped assemble the team that defended her.
His role placed him in an unusual position. He had represented Andrew during his lifetime and then helped defend Andrew’s daughter against the accusation that she had murdered him. Visiting Jennings’s grave added another personal connection to the courtroom story we had begun exploring that morning in New Bedford.
We also visited Josiah Blaisdell, the judge who presided over the inquest into Andrew and Abby’s deaths and Lizzie’s preliminary hearing. He was not one of the judges at her eventual trial, but he played an important role in the earlier proceedings. His grave represented the legal steps between the initial investigation and the trial itself.
Connections to Lizzie’s Later Life
Ernest Alden Terry’s grave brought us forward to Lizzie’s years at Maplecroft. Terry worked as her chauffeur from 1920 until her death in 1927. His family also had a place in her life, as Lizzie left bequests to his children, Grace and Ernest Jr.
This stop was a reminder that Lizzie lived for more than three decades after her acquittal. The trial remained attached to her name, but her later years included employees, friendships, and everyday relationships that are also part of her story.
Louis McHenry Howe had a different connection through his wife, Grace Hartley Howe, who was Lizzie’s cousin and a major beneficiary of her will. Louis became nationally known as a close adviser and political strategist to Franklin D. Roosevelt. His place on our itinerary came through the extended Borden family rather than through the investigation or trial.
Returning to the Borden Family Plot
We spent time at the Borden family plot, visiting the graves of Lizzie, Emma, Alice, Sarah, Andrew, and Abby. Seeing their markers together brings several generations of family history into one setting.
Sarah was Andrew’s first wife and the mother of Emma, Alice, and Lizzie. Alice died as a young child, and Sarah died while Lizzie was still very young. Abby later married Andrew and became Lizzie and Emma’s stepmother. The family plot holds reminders of those earlier losses alongside the two deaths that made the Borden name so widely known.
We also visited William M. Almy, Andrew Borden’s former business partner in the undertaking and furniture business. His grave connected us to Andrew’s working life and the business relationships that helped shape his place in Fall River.
Another stop was Adelaide Churchill, the next-door neighbor who came to the Borden house after learning that something was wrong. She helped Bridget Sullivan check upstairs, where Abby’s body was discovered. Her involvement made her an important witness to the events immediately following the discovery of the murders. This was a difficult grave to find since it was hidden by a large bush, but we found it.
autopsy room receiving vault
Our cemetery visit also included the autopsy room and the receiving vault. These stops brought our attention back to the handling and examination of Andrew and Abby’s bodies, adding another dimension to a visit that had already taken us through so many aspects of the case.
Finishing the Day at Maplecroft
We ended our day with a stop at Maplecroft, the home Lizzie and Emma purchased after the trial. After beginning at the courthouse, finishing here brought our route into the next chapter of Lizzie’s life.
It had been a full day of traveling, taking pictures, finding graves, and connecting familiar names with actual places. Some locations were connected directly to the murders, while others helped us explore the family’s history and Lizzie’s later years.
What made this trip especially meaningful was the opportunity to spend time with the wider story. The Borden house and Lizzie’s grave are important stops, but the officers, physicians, attorneys, neighbors, relatives, and employees each add something to our understanding. Following their connections took us beyond a single house and gave us a full day of exploring the history surrounding Lizzie Borden.
For more information about the locations we visited that day, follow the links below to their entries in the PANICd.com database. Each entry includes detailed history, ghost stories and folklore, maps, and additional photos from our visit.
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