William Pavao on William Pavao: I was born in 1970. I guess that makes me a young curator, but I do have a degree in history, I have studied historic preservation, and I have worked in a museum prior to becoming the curator of Lizzie's. I feel that I have brought the Borden Museum to a higher and more professional level. I stress accuracy and documentation. Of course, everyone has a theory. However, the Museum is centered around fact and not fiction/legend.

At first, I was the archivist at the Borden House. I started as the archivist in August 1997. I became the curator in 1998. I lived at 92 Second Street from 1998-2000. I am currently a sixth grade advanced placement American History teacher in a public school in Quincy, MA. I do show my students some of the videos I have done about the Borden case (I participated in the filming of several documentaries on the Borden Case, the most notable one was filmed by The Learning Channel. I portray William Borden in this show). We do talk about the case from time to time, but it is not part of my curriculum. I teach the history of the United States from colonization through to the year 1820. Therefore, Lizzie is beyond this time period. However, my students are always fascinated by the videos. I love to use them because it shows them that history can be fun and that it has meaning beyond the classroom.

I worked with Len Rebello on his book (Lizzie Borden: Past and Present) for about two years. He always says that I added about 200 pages to his book.  This was a great experience for me. He liked the fact that I was an historian because it added another perspective to his book. There are many theories about the Borden case. These all have merit and add new dimensions to the case. I have always felt that the true "experts" on the Borden case are buried in the Borden lot at Oak Grove Cemetery.

I realized quite early that there is a lot of jealousy surrounding the Borden case. One sees a lot of "I have it, you cannot see it"  or "I know it, you don't and I'm not telling" when it comes to Lizzie. I feel this is a shame and it is sad. My doors are always open for anyone. I am willing to share and help those who are interested in Lizzie. It is time for the people who are interested in Lizzie to put aside petty jealousies and to truly help one another.

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LBVML: Under what circumstances did you first become interested in the Borden Murders of 1892?

I first became interested in the Borden Murders when I watched the TV movie "The Legend of Lizzie Borden" starring Elizabeth Montgomery. I was fascinated by the story. I remember waiting for the movie to air again so that I could write down the information shown at the end of the film. I then went to my local library and found my first Lizzie Borden book....Goodbye Lizzie Borden by Robert Sullivan. I recall looking at the photos in the book and thinking "This was real. This really happened." Of course, once I read that book, and then the next, and the next.......I was hooked!

On August 5, 1992, I came to Fall River for the first time. I did not attend the conferences, but visited all the sites connected to Lizzie. I have a photo of me sitting on the front steps of 92 Second Street. I remember thinking, "I am going to get in that house someday". Little did I know I would soon become the curator and actually live at the house for more than a year! 

LBVML: What are your specific duties as curator for the 92 Second Street Museum?

As the volunteer curator of the Borden Museum it is my duty (and pleasure) to make sure that the house and the information we provide is as historically accurate as possible. This  includes appropriate furnishings, photographs, objects, etc.  I am responsible for maintaining and cataloging this museum's extensive collections. Len Rebello and I wrote the tour of the house which is given to thousands of visitors each year.

There are, of course, limitations to what I can do at the house. These limitations range from financial restraints to the fact that the house is a bed and breakfast. This means that all the objects have to be able to be used or touched. This is not a typical museum situation. Therefore, I have to be very selective about the objects I place in the house.

Currently, I am writing a special tour for the August 4 anniversary which will include some special surprises! 

LBVML: You lived in the house for many years as curator. Did you ever observe any spiritual manifestations, or were any reported to you by a guest?

I hate to disappoint people, but I can honestly say that I never experienced anything of the paranormal realm at the house. My personal feeling is that the house is not haunted.

LBVML: What, if any, additions or exhibits are contemplated for the future of the house?

Exhibit space at the house is severely limited since the house is in use as not only a museum, but also as a bed and breakfast. I am always looking for new additions to the house. In the future, I would like to do an exhibit entitled "Lizzie Borden: The Merchandising of a Legend". This exhibit will feature all kinds of Lizzie Borden merchandise that has been available through the years. Other potential exhibits are: the women in Lizzie's life (her friends both before and after the trial), an exhibit comparing and contrasting the lifestyle of Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan to a mill worker at that time, music related to the Borden case, and also perhaps the Borden case in the arts (theatre, ballet, movies, etc.). The possibilities are truly endless. 

LBVML: I think you are the first author to delve into the character of  Abby Borden in an article you wrote for the LBQ last year. You got  people thinking about her as a person and not just an overweight  murder victim. What is your opinion of her now that you have done that article?

I have always had a higher opinion of Abby Borden than others have had of her. Abby was really caught in a no-win situation between her step-daughters and her husband. Her life at 92 Second Street was not a very happy one. After doing the research for the article, I came to see the very human side of Mrs. Borden. She was no longer just a body lying murdered on the floor in a crime scene photo. I now have a much deeper appreciation for the dynamics within the Borden household. This has made the entire family much more human to me. 

LBVML: Likewise, what are your feelings about Andrew J. Borden? Do you see him, as others do, as simply a miserly old man who refused to allow his daughters to live in the manner in which they were entitled given his financial situation?

Andrew was without question very careful with his money. He was also good with money or he would not have been able to have accumulated the small fortune he had. A miser is someone who hoards his money while denying himself common everyday comforts. In some ways, he seems to have denied his family comforts that were common for that time period (such as gas lighting and a bathtub). In other ways he was generous with his money. He bought a portion of the Whitehead house on Fourth Street and put the deed in Mrs. Borden's name. He sent Lizzie to Europe. He also kept a maid (which was common at the time for many, but certainly not a necessity given that there were three unemployed women living in the house). Mr. Borden also paid most of the household bills, thus financially supporting all the members of his household.

It is important to remember that Emma and Lizzie were of a different generation than their parents. What was acceptable to the elder Bordens, may not have been as acceptable to the two daughters. The Bordens lived much better than the average Fall River mill worker and yet did not enjoy the lifestyle that they could have had. Mr. Borden appears to have been comfortable with his family's lifestyle and saw no real necessity to change it.

LBVML: The house has been renovated and decorated to match as closely as possible the house as it was in 1892. Having visited the house and stayed overnight, I found the place lush, lovely, cozy and comfortable. Please explain how you feel the house must have felt to the residents in 1892.

The answer to this question lies in the perspective you take. For example, I am sure that Emma and Lizzie found the living conditions at 92 Second Street to be unacceptable. They were obviously not happy with the lifestyle of the family. On the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Borden seem to have been quite content with the home.

LBVML: Who is your candidate for the murders and why?

Again, I hate to disappoint people, but I feel that Lizzie was the perpetrator of the murders. There are many reasons why I nominate Lizzie as the murderer. Basically, she clearly had the opportunity and the motive. She and her sister had the most to gain from the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. Everything simply points to Lizzie, in my estimation.

LBVML: In light of the recent controversy over Maplecroft, are there any plans to attempt to secure from the city of Fall River some legal protection, historic designation, or guarantee that no matter who owns the house it will continue to exist?

The house is listed on the National Historic Register. However, this does not guarantee any legal protection for the building. It would be wonderful to secure legal protection for the house, but as you know it is privately owned. Historic designation sometimes will only protect the facade of a building and not its interior. This is something I would love to acquire for the house so that it will be here for many future generations. 

LBVML: Is the house open year round to tours and overnight visitors?

The house is open all year for overnight guests. We are closed on major holidays. The daily tours begin after Memorial Day and end Labor Day weekend. 

LBVML: I understand that you are related to the Bordens. What is your relation to them and was this one of the reasons you became so interested in the case?

Actually, I did not know I was a blood relative of the Bordens until this year!! I happened to be researching Lizzie's genealogy when I noticed her 4th great grandparents were Christopher Gifford and Deborah Perry. I immediately recognized these names.

My 8th great grandmother, Peace Perry (married John Mumford) was the daughter of Edward Perry and Mary Freeman. Peace had a sister Deborah who married Christopher Gifford. I immediately began doing extensive research to confirm this and the relationship is documented.What a coincidence!! Some things are just meant to be. 

Therefore, both Lizzie and I are direct descendants of  Edward Perry and his wife, Mary Freeman. They are Lizzie's 5th great-grandparents and my 9th great-grandparents. This makes Lizzie and I 6th cousins four times removed!!!Edward Perry came from England as a boy. His family settled in Sandwich, MA. He was a leading Quaker at a time when the Quaker faith was not allowed in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He suffered much persecution for his religious convictions. Some other direct descendants of Edward Perry and Mary Freeman include Oliver Hazard Perry (hero of the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812) and his brother, Commodore Matthew Perry (who opened trade between the United States and Japan).Mary Freeman was the daughter of Edmund Freeman. He was the founder of the town of Sandwich, MA. 

I have read that Edmund Freeman was the first white settler on Cape Cod. He also was the Deputy Governor of Plymouth Colony under Governor William Bradford. His grave along with that of his second wife, Elizabeth are today sites of great importance in Sandwich. I am glad to be able to discuss these ancestors of the Bordens because they add richness and new depth to the Borden's genealogy. We have heard much about the Borden family background, but nothing about this significant branch of the family.

LBVML: Do you have any projects related to the Bordens coming up?

I am happy to announce that I have decided to begin writing a book on the Borden case. This will be the first time a professional historian and a relative of Lizzie's has done so. I am now working on an outline of the book. I am excited about this project. I have no idea at this point when the book will be finished. 

LBVML: Do you know the names of the guests that Abby was expecting on Monday, August 8?

No, I do not know who these guests were. I would love to find out, though!

LBVML: With so many Bridget Sullivans in Fall River, how do we know "ours" is the one who moved to Montana?

Wonderful question!!!!!! Len Rebello has the largest collection of information on the Borden case. I drove to his house to review the documentation so that I could answer this question fully. We know that the Bridget Sullivan who moved to Montana was the Borden's servant from several sources. These sources include: the marriage license of John Sullivan and Bridget Sullivan (which list the names of Bridget's parents), Bridget's death certificate (which also list the names of her parents), census records, and Bridget's relatives and friends (many of whom still live in Montana).

LBVML: Does the front door still have the triple lock?

The front door still has three locks. These may not be the locks that were on the door in 1892.

LBVML: Was the privy in the cellar a flush device or a simple latrine?

The privy in the cellar would have been a flush device because it was serviced by city water.

LBVML: Could a hatchet have been thrown down there?

A hatchet would not have been able to have been flushed.

LBVML: Were the front stairs original to the house?

I am assuming you are referring to the staircase inside the front entry (not the outside front steps). The staircase in the front entry is very lovely and is absolutely original. When the Bordens lived in the house, this staircase was carpeted.