Iron gate rod found during Lizzie Borden House fence restoration

A rusted 1880s gate rod believed tied to Andrew Borden turned up beneath a concrete slab during a more than two-year fence restoration at the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts. US Ghost Adventures has put the artifact on display as it continues restoring the home to its 1892 appearance.

Why it matters: - The find gives the Lizzie Borden House a physical artifact linked to the home’s pre-murder history. - The discovery also reinforces US Ghost Adventures’ effort to restore the Fall River property to its 1892 appearance, not just preserve it as a crime landmark. - Visitors can now see the rod on display inside the house.

What happened: - A rusted iron gate rod was uncovered during fence restoration at the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts. - The rod was buried beneath a concrete slab that a local contractor had to remove while preparing the ground for a historically accurate replica fence. - The artifact is believed to be part of the original gate Andrew Borden installed at the home in the 1800s. - US Ghost Adventures owns the property.

The details: - The rod dates to the 1880s. - The restored fence project took more than two years. - US Ghost Adventures custom designed and custom built the new fence to match the one documented in 1892 photographs. - The replica fence includes the letter “B” for Borden worked into the front gate design. - Since buying the home in 2021, US Ghost Adventures has completed multiple preservation projects. - The company replaced the shingled roof with a metal roof. - The exterior was repainted using historic colors matched with help from historian Shelley Dziedzic. - Decaying horsehair walls inside the home were replaced and finished with Victorian-style wallpaper. - Crumbling exterior building walls were rebuilt and painted. - The basement windows were replaced.

Between the lines: - The restoration work suggests the company is positioning the house as both a historical site and a museum experience. - The uncovered rod adds a tangible piece of evidence to the property’s layered past, which may deepen visitor interest beyond the murder narrative. - The planned memorial plaque for Andrew and Abby Borden signals a broader emphasis on remembrance rather than only the accused suspect or the crime.

What’s next: - US Ghost Adventures plans to install a memorial plaque for Andrew and Abby Borden. - The company says more restoration work may continue as it tries to match what was actually present when the Bordens lived in the home. - The restored fence and the artifact display are now part of the visitor experience at the house.

The bottom line: - A routine fence rebuild at one of America’s most notorious homes turned up a rare historic artifact, and the find has become part of a larger restoration aimed at putting the Lizzie Borden House back into its 1890s setting.