Lizzie Borden’s Maplecroft home in Fall River under agreement

Put back on the market in August of 2020, Lizzie Borden’s Maplecroft home is now under agreement.

Following the acquittal of the murder of her parents, Lizzie resided in the home on French Street until her death in 1927. Her sister Emma also lived in the Queen Anne Victorian. The 4,000 square foot home features 7 bedrooms, 3 ½ bathrooms, 6 fireplaces, tin ceilings in the kitchen, coffered ceilings, walnut wainscoting, inlaid parquet floors, stained glass, and exquisite detail throughout the home.

The mansion was being used for private ghost hunts.

According to Suzanne St. John, who was the listing agent, Donald Woods, the now former owner of the property, was at the stage in his life where he was looking to relax a bit as the property was in the process of being upgraded to become a Bed & Breakfast and host tours.

“The LLC had hoped to open it as a Bed and Breakfast, and for tours, but of course since it wasn’t previously used as such there are building codes and requirements that need to be met in order to get that done.”

St. John stated that Donald’s son was doing a lot of the footwork to upgrade the property, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“Donald’s son decided to relocate back to Naples, Florida to be with family, leaving Donald the option to sell or continue when things are back to normal. He decided to sell.”

St. John told Fall River Reporter that the new buyer is keeping the property as a single-family home. Maplecroft came under agreement exactly a year to the date of the closing on Lizzie Borden’s Bed and Breakfast, according to St. John.

“(The home) is being purchased by artist and professor Brooke Mullins Doherty, who will be moving her home and studio from New Bedford. She and her husband Michael, a polymath, along with their three children look forward to respecting the house’s unique history while they restore Maplecroft to a single-family residence.”

Since Woods had owned the property, Maplecroft had approximately $200,000 in upgrades and renovations including an up to code sprinkler system throughout the house, and a total back porch renovation. A new boiler was also recently installed.

The property was put up for sale with an initial asking price of $890,000 and was then dropped to $800,000 earlier this year.