If you're into history or crime (or especially historical crime), then you might already be familiar with the story of Lizzie Borden and the murders she may (or may not) have committed. If not, here's a little bit of the background.
Andrew and Abby Borden were found dead in their home in August 1892. It was clear the pair had been killed with an ax, and their daughter Lizzie was quickly accused of the murder. Lizzie and her sister, Emma, lost their mother shortly after Lizzie's birth, and the girls weren't close to their stepmother.
The home where the murders took place was recently put on the market by the Seyboth Team, a Massachusetts real estate company. The listing stirred up a lot of interest in the crime — especially since it's never been solved.
On the morning of August 4, Lizzie told the family's maid, Bridget, that her father was dead on the sofa. The pair found Abby's body upstairs in the bedroom, and it was clear that both had been killed with a hatchet. Police reportedly identified Lizzie as a suspect when they arrived, but they didn't arrest her.
Lizzie's sister was out of town when her father and stepmother were killed, so she was never a person of interest in the case. It took weeks for Lizzie to be arrested, and during that time she reportedly burned a dress that she claimed had been stained with paint. Prosecutors accused her of burning the dress because it was stained with blood instead.
Lizzie was eventually indicted on December 2, and the subsequent trial captured the attention of her community and beyond. Lizzie opted against taking the stand, and ultimately she was acquitted of the murders due to inconclusive testimony from others.
Lizzie and Emma inherited money from their father and ended up buying a home to live in together. Biography notes that even though Lizzie was never convicted, many neighbors believed she was guilty and subsequently refused to get to know her or invite her to social functions.
The home was eventually turned into the the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast/Museum, which up until recently could be visited by anyone wishing to check out the B&B or the museum. In January, the real estate company Seyboth Team listed the house for $2 million; at time of writing, the home was under agreement.
The house has eight bedrooms, and the listing takes full advantage of the home's notoriety:
"Lizzie Borden took an axe…or did she? Welcome to the ORIGINAL house where Lizzie Borden was accused (and acquitted) of the brutal double axe murders of her father, Andrew, and stepmother, Abby, that occured on that warm summer day of August 4th,1892."
The bed and breakfast and museum is one of the state's largest tourist attractions, and the owners are planning to retire. The listing goes on to tout the pros of living and running such a home:
"This is a turnkey operation, running lucrative day tours and evening events, and as a popular bed and breakfast destination. Picture yourself serving fun hatchet cookies, tiny johnny cakes and a scrumptious breakfast to overnight guests who have just enjoyed an experience of a lifetime."
Suzanne St. John, a member of the real estate team, told WJAR that all potential buyers intend to keep the property running as a B&B:
"I have not spoken to anybody who does not want to keep it a bed and breakfast."
She added, "People are so excited to be there. Most of them know a lot about Lizzie already and they are just fascinated to be in the actual house. It's really exciting for me to be able to provide an enjoyable time for the guests."
It turns out that the home where Lizzie and Emma moved to is also for sale. The same couple who ran the B&B also hoped to turn this house into a kind of attraction, but the idea didn't take off.
