Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts

The beautiful Ruskinian Gothic brick church on Rock Street was sold at auction today for $250,000. Herald News story at the link below.

http://www.heraldnews.com/breaking/x2145968655/Millennium-bank-buys-Abbey-Grill-at-Fall-River-auction.

James E. Winward was the man Lizzie Borden wanted immediately to undertake the funeral of her father.  On the day of the murders, just a very short time after Lizzie said she found her father on the sofa, she requested the services of Mr. Winward, who at the time had his business address at 13 South Main Street.  Even before the body of Abby Borden was found on the second floor, Lizzie was voicing the opinion that she would be the one to go down to Oak Grove Cemetery to arrange her father’s funeral and burial.  This may be construed as a curious statement as Mrs. Borden would have had this task herself-did Lizzie already know Mrs. Borden was lying dead upstairs?

Young Mr. Winward (aged only 38 on the day of the murders) came as requested, and was to find not one, but two bodies at #92 Second Street. He and his assistant had the grisly task of removing the heavily blood-stained sofa from the sitting room later in the day. 

Mr. Winward enjoyed a successful career in his field, and fitted the ideal of a funeral director in every aspect of appearance and decorum.  A photograph of Mr. Winward is soon to be published.  At the end of his life, Mr. James E. Winward lived in a prosperous section in the north end of the city on Madison Street.  He is buried with his wife Annie, his daughter Helen Winward Brown and his son-in-law in the cemetery where he spend  so many years organizing funerals for so many city clients- Oak Grove.

The role of Mr. Winward was ably performed by funeral director Andrew Correia for the recent August 4th re-enactments at # 92 Second Street.

Not too much remains today of the 1903 postcard view of South Main St. looking north.  The city hall, once the prominent landmark in many postcards, has been replaced by the government center. Shopping fixture, McWhirr’s, was demolished years ago, and the steeple of the Central Congregational Church, currently the Culinary Institute and Abbey Grille now wears a sheath of black mesh after some brickwork and concrete fell to the ground a few months ago. It is still a reassuring presence in the center background of both images. With the price of gasoline now, it sure would be great to have those trolley cars back on Main Street!

Big changes to the Durfee Mill site over the past 100 plus years.  The postcard is circa 1905. Kentucky Fried Chicken is a jolt back to the present.

Fall River post cards are still plentiful and can be had in the 1-8 dollar range locally.  Cards span the decades from 1900 to about the 1970’s when sending postcards began to lose its appeal.  This is the “debut view” of a series of postcards and their counterpart sites as seen today in 2008.  It’s sad to see so many familiar landmarks, some of significant architectural merit, destroyed. The most obvious feature missing on the left in the second photo is the great old city hall which was torn down in the early 1960’s. Also gone is the Durfee Theatre and the Granite Block building. The postcard is dated 1945. Happily, the Academy Building is still standing as seen in 1945 in the far background of each image.