A full narrative history section
Maplecroft is most well known as Lizzie Borden's home on the hill. She lived there from shortly after her trial where she was acquitted of murder until her death in 1927.
Most people do not know though that she is the only owner that died in the house and her wake was held there as well, in the parlor.
The house is also known as the Charles M. Allen House as Maplecroft was built in 1889, for Charles Allen, who lived in the house until he sold it to the Borden sisters in 1893.
The building is at 306 French St. (formerly 7 French street). It is 17860 sq. ft. and sits on just under a half acre and is identified by its name etched in the top step.
It is a 2 1/2 story clapboard Queen Anne with a 4 sided steep turret that is angled toward the street and a stone foundation. It has a gable topped bay window, cor-belled chimney caps, barge-boards, stained glass windows, and flat dormers. It has 8 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, 6 fireplaces, 2 sun rooms, a kitchen, a dining room, Parlor, a grand staircase and a wrap-around porch. It features walnut wainscoting, parquet floors, coffer ceilings in the parlor, a tin ceiling in the kitchen, and the floral wallpaper that Lizzie personally chose for the dining room. The mantle in the second floor bedroom previously occupied by Lizzie Borden has the inscription "My Ain Countrie" surrounded by thistles AND Lizzie's bathroom still has all of its original fixtures, including the claw-foot tub and even the mirror that dates to about 1910. There is also a cubby where milk deliveries were left each day. It is a little square door hidden on a wall of the back porch still opens.The estate also has a carriage house.
The original building permit is from 1889 and identifies it as a wood tenement that would be 39 x 48 1/2 x 35 with a stone foundation with a cost of $7000.
Lizzie and Emma Borden purchased the house for $11,000 just after Lizzie's trial was over (the deed was recorded Aug 10, 1893)and they moved in Sept. 2, 1893. They owned the house from 1893 to 1927 the year that both of them died. Though Emma only lived there until 1905. It was actually Lizzie who hired a mason to etch the term maplecroft into the front step and also replaced all the mantles. In 1909, Lizzie also had two additions added to the building. Aug 15, she had a 14x15 two story addition for $1000 and Sept 18 she added a one story wood addition for $1100. Both were completed by D. A. Moore and added an extra bedroom, kitchen, and wraparound porch. She also had the Carriage house built in 1911.
After Lizzie's death, Maplecroft remained vacant (estate proceedings) from 1927 to 1933 and was in the care of Laffetette Bank.
From 1933 to 1948, Maplecroft was owned by Herman and Fannie David.
From 1948 to 1980, the house was owned by Judge Frank M. Silvia, Jr.
From 1980 to November of 2014, Maplecroft was owned by Robert J. Dube. who purchased the home for $60,000. During the time that Dube owned the home, he briefly ran it as a B&B and gave tours of the building. These reportedly ended in 1992 though.
From November of 2014 to February of 2018, Maplecroft was owned by Kristee Bates of Twilight Enterprises who purchased the building for $495,000. After zoning issues stonewalled her plans for the building she decided to cut her losses and put the building up for sale.
February 2018 Leann Wilbur and Donald Woods of Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast LLC purchased the building for $600,000 and are completing finishing touches to open it up as a B&B. Current restorations are bringing the building up to code, including adding a sprinkler system, and likely a chair lift on the main staircase to meet requirements, but the restorations do intend to keep the kitchen's tin ceiling and Lizzie's dining room wallpaper.
