‘A wonderful house’: New homeowners bring life back to Lizzie Borden’s Maplecroft mansion
Dan Medeiros
Brooke Mullins Doherty watches her three children, Abigail, William and Lincoln, play a game in the parlor of their home — Maplecroft in Fall River. Once the home of Lizzie Borden and later a proposed bed and breakfast, the house is once again a private residence. Photo by: Dan Medeiros
The halls of Maplecroft are echoing with children’s laughter for the first time in decades.
In this spacious French Street mansion 100 years ago, the infamous double-murder suspect Lizzie Borden lived alone except for a few servants. In the front parlor, she received visits from close friends who stuck with her through the controversial trial and acquittal; 95 years ago, Lizzie’s private funeral was held in this room. Today, three little kids open a plastic bin and build a toy train set on the floor.
The lineage of Maplecroft decends now to the Doherty family: parents Mike Doherty and Brooke Mullins Doherty, and their three children, William, 7, Lincoln, 4, and Abigail, 2. The Dohertys purchased the home in July and have moved in to use Maplecroft as a private residence.
“It’s a wonderful house to raise a family in,” Mike says. “Hopefully the kids will want to keep it as a part of a legacy to the family.”
Like any family dealing with the chaos of a recent move, they’re still settling in but finding ways to make the place their own, and building plans for its future.
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