Maplecroft For Sale again

[Stefani]

mbhenty posted here
viewtopic.php?p=69475&highlight=#69475

that Maplecroft was again for sale. He posted the phone number of the realtor as well.

Anyone call it and get a figure yet?

I would be interested to know if the owner gives out different prices with each call, whether he is firm in his price, and what is included in the price (in other words, what Lizzie owned items besides the building are included).

Maybe we cal as a collective come up with the funds and purchase!

Post your findings here.

[mbhenty]

Yes Stefani: LET ME SAY THIS ABOUT THAT.

And I am not kidding about this, or am I saying this for shock value.

But, the city of fall river better pray I never win 200+million in the lottery.

Mark my words. If I ever did I would purchase both Maplecroft and 92.

I would make an offer they could not refuse.

Then I would dismantle both buildings and move them to Liberal, Kansas.

And, with the lack of historical laws in place, there would be nothing they could do to stop me.

Then fall river can go out and buy some ruby slippers and click them to their delight.

(I don't think were in massachusetts an longer, Toto.)

You may take that one to the bank.

[Fargo]

Has anyone ever considered building a replica of 92 Second Street or Maplecroft ? Like the couple in Texas who built the Munster Mansion. Although in that case there never was a real Munster house before, all they had was just a facade for the tv series.

Obviously such a venture would be expensive, but I was thinking along the lines of someone that was going build a new house anyway. This way they would be spending the money anyway whether they were building a newly designed home or a replica of a famous house.

I was thinking that someday if I build a house, I could build the Happy Days house and I could rent out the apartment above the garage to Fonzie.

[Stefani]

So, did any of you call the number for the Maplecroft price? the For Sale sign is gone. So maybe one of you bought it? Do tell!

[mbhenty]

Yes Stef.

Someone did purchase it.

I think it went for 5 dollars.

So the sign is now sold, perhaps he will get serious about selling the building.

[mbhenty]

Yes, the for sale sign was taken down, but went back up a couple of day's ago.

Maplecroft officially up for sale once again.

Come one, come all, before the sign gets taken down, once again.





DAFT.....................

[xyjw]

Oh my, it must be getting close to August 4th again!

[mbhenty]

Yes, I have often spoke about the disparaging reasons for why fall river lacks as a place to live, this in many ways.

One being that fall river had, (and may still have?) the lowest high school test scores and highest school dropout rate in the state.

Here is one more.

This sign is on the lawn of a guy who's father was an English teacher.

Also, he is lying. He does not have a B&B license.

He may have a B+B "liscense," I don't know..........because I don't know what that is. (for those that are unsure, check with the fr city hall clerk's office.)

Ah! to live in fall river. Why did Lizzie want to do it.

[mbhenty]

For Sale.

[cfking]

mbhenty-do you live in Fall River? I take it you do, from your seemingly very personal views of the town. LOL.
I visited recently and was quite surprised that the town seemed to be in decline. It's very sad! I hear posters from the area constantly talking about how many towns people "still" don't want to talk about the Borden Trial. It baffles me. It's what put the name Fall River on the national map! I'm sure there's much more historic exploration to be done there, but the Borden Trial is what draws tourist there. I think it could be an financial jolt for the town and bring in a great deal of tourist dollars if they would market it correctly.
Wish I could afford to purchase it, would restore it to it's original splendor and then open it up for tours!

[mbhenty]

Yes:

would you pay almost 700,000 for house with a porch that looks like this?

[cfking]

Oh No they didn't! That is horrible!! It looks like the back of a trailer park.
If I had it, I would pay it just to get rid of that!!
What is the average price of a home it's size in that neighborhood go for without the pedigree??
Can't you take up a petition and get some historic property laws in effect so this kind of thing doesn't happen? Sad...so sad...

[mbhenty]

Now, one of the posts have weakened.

I don't know whether it is arogance, ignorance, stinginess, or plain stupidity?

Why would anyone pay 700,000 for a world known, significant historical house with a porch sporting 3 different designed posts, just because the owner is to cheap to have them duplicated and custom made.

In the photo showing the back door, you can see two different posts. The one on the left is original to the house.

Also, in another photo you can see the new replacement post to go up sometime soon. This post is different from the two in that photo. A knock-off, a cheapy.

A terrible shame that such a person has such valuable property in his hands. Such a lack of respect. Properties like Maplecorft, that contains value than money can't replace, deserves a much higher regard. All it means to its owner is dollar signs. Greed.

Remember, he is asking almost 700,000. He paid around 60,000.

Now, even Andrew Borden would blush at such profit.

[mbhenty]

yes, cfking:

I am from fall river, that's Fall River with a small "f" and a small "r", to fit the small minds that live here.

Perfect example: check the post about the property above. It's the norm rather than the exception.

Lizzie and I have a little in common; in that we both owned the same property.

Now, what you mentioned about people in fall river not wanting to talk about Lizzie Borden? I'm sure this is something you heard from others.

Not true. Very, very few of those people are still alive. Some like to spread the rumor that "they don't like to talk about Lizzie in fall river," but that is just a rumor. If they don't want to talk about Lizzie it's because it's not their cup of tea, not because it is something we don't talk about here in fr.

The same is true about the Boston Terrier. It has been said that if you go to fall river you see a lot of Boston Terriers, the dog Lizzie had ownership of. Also a rumor. Not true. Not only is it not true but Boston Terriers are rare in fall river, though you seen them all the time when I was a little boy. Lizzie does not drive the terrier popularity game today. Unless she crossed it with a pit bull.

That being said:

I saw a lady walking one right by Maplecorft yesterday. Strange?


Welcome to the site cfking. Hope your stay is long and enjoyable.

[stargazer]

I hate to see neighborhoods deteriorate. It's criminal to neglect a grand old home, or do a bad restoration on it. It has great historical value. At least to us. We are attached to it. Too bad we don't have a cool million. As a side note, I was heartbroken when I saw such houses being demolished in Maryland in order to put in a highway, or convenience store.

[mbhenty]

YES:

I would like to clarify what I said about those in fall river not wanting to talk about Lizzie.

Now, I see that that opinion came from the Herald News Paper Posts and comments on the Net.

There are two groups of people in fall river that don't want to talk about Lizzie Borden.

The first group were people from the time of the crime, and right up to the 50s and 60s. Many who remembered the crime or were very close to it by proximity in time. Such as Mrs Brigham former Curator of the FRHS. Mrs Brigham was very close to the crime. And did not love talking about it. Most of these folks are gone.

Asking questions or talking about Lizzie Borden was something no one wanted to talk about. It was shameful. If you were a child in fall river in the 40s, and even 50s, and you asked an adult about Lizzie Borden, it was like asking your mom, "how do I masturbate". (bad analogy) You just did not talk about it. Like Uncle Joe, who has been married 3 times and is now living with a women half his age. We don't talk about it.

Now, the second group of people in fall river are those who recently exposed their sentiments in the fall river news paper.

THESE ARE JUST NEGATIVE PEOPLE. FALL RIVER IS A VERY NEGATIVE PLACE. Believe me, I have lived here for over half-a-century. It always has been a negative place.

And, if you judge me by some of my posts, you will soon discover that some of that negativity has worn off on me.

My NEGATIVITY of fall river is mostly based in politics, and in the negative group who recently slammed the Lizzie Borden story, along with those in the business community which are slowly destroying the city's historical architecture.

fALL rIVER IS INFESTED WITH SUCH NEGATIVE, depressing PEOPLE. THOSE WHO POSTED THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT LIZZIE BORDEN ARE JUST A BUNCH OF "NEGATITES." THEY ARE NEGATIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING. A BUNCH OF COMPLAINERS.

These are people of words, not of action. They all complain but none of them do anything about anything. I'm sure every community has them. Fall river just has a lot more of them.

SO...............................................................................SO, those today who expressed themselves and "don't" want to talk about Lizzie Borden are just a group of PESSIMISTS, pessimists, DEFEATISTS, AND FATALISTS who only add to the substandard and corrupt endeavors of those who are systematically dismantling the city as a good place to raise a family.

So, one must not read anything in what they say about Lizzie Borden. They don't talk for the general population. They talk for themselves. Just want to hear themselves talk. Failures, who want to pee on your leg and poop your parade. In bases, their complaint has nothing to do with Lizzie Borden or how people here see her.

Do we talk about LIZZIE BORDEN here in fALL rIVER? Any one with half an intellect knows that Lizzie is here and she will not be going away anytime soon. She is intertwine in the history and culture of this city. And it is about much more than Lizzie. To study Lizzie Borden is to study the actual reasons why fall river exists in the first place. Lizzie is a conduit, a channel to other positives that may exist here. But people in fall river do not see that. All they want to do is complain.

So much potential, so many "NEGATITES"> What can one do?

[Kashesan]

same goes for Salem and the witch trials.

a Salem-ite

k

[stargazer]

Are we Bordenites ? Lizziephiles ? We do want to talk about it. Boy do we talk about it ! I am ready for another molasses cookie. I know how to compress my mind, and time travel. Just don't let Fall River erect a nasty big box store close to "you know where !"

[mbhenty]

The not so serious owner of MAPLECROFT has placed it back on the market once again. Trying to sell it himself still, once again.

The same old sign sits on his lawn.

Every year the sign makes an appearance.

Usually around the 4th of August.

It's early this year.

Nah! The man's not serious. Either that or he's to cheap to hire a realtor. I think it's a bit of bought.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

MAPLECORFT deserves much better...........and so does French Street.

Yes, many silly faces, for what has become for me, a sometimes silly, sometimes very sad situation.

750,000 was the asking price last time,if I'm not mistaken.

MAPLECROFT would not sell in today's market if he was asking half of that. As it sits, he's lucky to get 350 for it.

Yep so big is our world and so many silly people.

It's either the silly faces.............or swearing.
(I love the drinking guy)

[Fargo]

The thought comes to mind what would Lizzie think if she saw this ? It makes me think of how some people want things to continue in a certain way after they have passed on. Sometimes they do, sometimes they do not.

[mbhenty]

Yes, on a serious note. I have no idea what he is asking for Maplecorft but in today's market it would take a particular person to purchase it. It will need a paint job. That's another 10 to 15 grand. Also, the back porch is in need of total rehab. I received a 20,000 estimate to do mine. And, the garage needs some serious roof and soffit work.

A couple of years ago he put on a new roof on the residence. Not my choice. It was completed using a cheaper shingle. Not only that, but they did a cheap job. They left the old shingles in place and went right over them. This is a very common practice, but not the right way.......not for a building such as Maplecroft.

It is interesting to note that if Maplecorft does sell, it will be to an outsider.

I have been saying this for years. People in fall river don't care about Lizzie and know very little about the crime. In buying a house, the fact that it's Maplecorft makes no difference whatsoever. I am willing to bet that if it does sell it will be to someone from outside the area.

[mbhenty]

Yes


This house is everything Maplecroft is..........without the Lizzie connection. Also, a better home when it was first built.

It is situated on High Street, about 2 to 3 blocks from Maplecorft.

It's for sale. List 399,000.

Nice.

If you take a quick look at the photo below, you might think you were looking at Maplecroft, in that shot.

[mbhenty]

Yes

For all of you who feel I do not have the right to take photos out my front window.............well, I don't know what to say to you.

But..........

Here's a current photo of the Maplecroft for sale sign. Just as I mentioned above. The man's not serious or just mad.

Notice the dementia behind the reasoning. If it does not sell, if the bottom of the market falls out, raise the price.

Notice the price at the top of the sign below. Yep, 885,000.

He paid around 60,000 for it back in the Eighties and ran the place down making only the absolute necessary vital repairs. Zero improvements.

Now he wants What? madness.

Mad like a fox??????

Hey buddy, take a look behind you. The hounds are at your heels. You are not in your thirties, you're in your sixties. If you want to sell...........Get real.

Greed exemplified.

[mbhenty]

I know, here he goes again, you're saying.

So hang on. Here I go again.

Last summer Maplecroft was for sale for 695,000.

Put on a new roof.....(over the old one)

and wait a year for the market to crash further, then raise the price by 200,000.

Expensive roof.........

The sign says it comes with a B&B License. Not true. It has run out. I checked. If someone wants to make it a B&B the first thing they need to do is apply for a License and install a professional sprinkler system then..................... they would need to go through me, because I would fight it. Win or lose, they would see me in court.

The first photo of the sign you see was on the lawn last year. The next one was taken today.

At the moment, the highest residential property in fall river.

Like selling a bottle of Coke for eighteen dollars.

Any buyers?

Yep.......here are a couple right now lining up for the sale.

[Fargo]

It looks like all he did was change the 6 to an 8.

Maybe he forgot to put the decimal point in so instead of $885000 it should be $8850.00

Now we are talking. We are in the Ballpark. I'll go down to the Bank tomorrow.

[mbhenty]

OOPS! TO LATE Maplecorft is NOT for sale any longer. The for sale sign has been taken away.

[mbhenty]

(BECAUSE OF ERRORS IN MY JUDGEMENT......THIS POST HAS BEEN AMENDED BELOW)


Yes, repairs are underway to mend the back porch as you can see in the photo below.

You can't really see it, but if you look at the second photo, the new board that has been tacked up (the fascia) it makes a 90 degree right angle to the right. The new corner is actually under the left rail of the ladder and hidden.

This board was originally bent and rounded when the porch was first built. The corner did not come to a point here but twisted around elegantly, continuing along the side of the porch, till it did the same again around the back. If you look at the third and first photo you can see the way it "rounds" the corner and heads away along the back of the porch. This round angle is not anything difficult to the craftsman. But it is much easier to do it this way. Even I would have made the change from round to square.............but not on this house. If it was any other house I would say OK>

But this is an historical home of great importance, if not value, and keeping it looking just the way it was built or changed by Lizzie is everything.

It will be interesting what the carpenter/helper will do with the back portion of the porch where that graceful sweep catches the discriminating eye.

Though it may be interesting to guess, it will be no surprise. What is easier, what is cheaper has always been the order of the day at Maplecorft.

Example:

Notice the posts holding up the porch roof. The one in the background is an original. Not only are the other two different, they don't even match each other.

[Fargo]

Gee Mbhenty, I wonder how many hunderds of thousands of dollars the owner will ad to the price when he puts Maplecroft back on the market, because of the SUPERB EXTENSIVE repairs he is doing.

[mbhenty]

WELL, what do you know.

Yes, Fargo. I'm feeding myself a little crow at the moment. It appears now, that the ladder has been removed, that the carpenter has indeed rounded off the corner. Cool! So the corner is not squared off and the fellow working on it is indeed doing the correct thing.

Little details like these make a big difference in historical property. Perhaps if he had hired a carpenter for the porch posts rather then replacing them himself some attempt would have been made to match them. There are hundreds of different designs of porch posts. When it comes to a Victorian home it is unlikely that the pattern or motif used back then could be purchased off the shelf today.

So, hurray, hurray for the attention given this small but pivotal detail. And, bad, bad mbhenty for getting his facts wroing. (and for bad spelling)

[mbhenty]

Well yes.

Lets say there was an attempt to round the corner. I can't really tell short of walking up to the porch and taking a look. I'm sure that would make for a dramatic scene.

The board does not go all the way around as it should. Only the end is bent a little in a primitive attempt to make the sweep, but fall short as it meets another straight fascia board. A novice approach. In the old day's they would steam the board and bend it. Steaming was a common practice in Victorian times for carpenters and boat builders. But there are other methods of bending wood.

By right the entire roof over the porch should be replaced. One can see in the photo below as it hangs in tatters over the new fascia. Hopefully, that will be done.

Nahhhh! Don't think so.

[mbhenty]

Yes,

for something somewhat more positive. Here is a photo of the anchor carried on the Titanic, the original............ and a 32 thousand pound replica.

What does this have to do with Maplecorft?

Nothing, nothing what-so-ever. Just perhaps a little more interesting topic.

[Chichibcc]

Is Maplecroft still for sale now, or did the owner take it off the market again?

I think Lizzie would really be dismayed by the current condition of her former home-I have the impression that it was a place that she really cherished.

It's too bad the owners of the LB Bed and Breakfast couldn't buy it and turn it into a second B&B-that would be really neat, but most likely way too expensive an option for them to really consider, in terms of all the work that would need to be done.

[Fargo]

Mbhenty you only assumned the job would be done cheap and improper because that is the way some other repair jobs have been done on Maplecroft. What else were you supposed to think ?

This had given me a theory, perhaps someone is reading what you are putting on this thread about the repairs and then they do the job right to try to make you look bad.

If my theory is right all you have to do is keep pointing out all the bad repair jobs that have been done in the past and the bad repair jobs that are being done right now and we will have Maplecoft back in her old tip top shape in no time.

[mbhenty]

Yes, that's funny Fargo. If only we could actually shame people into doing the right thing.

[mbhenty]

Yes, the farce continues. For the record:

The for sale sign is back out once again on the front lawn of Maplecorf, there since the 4th.

Maplecroft is for sale to the imprudent buyer who cares to entertain the ridiculous asking price.

[mbhenty]

Yes:

I'm very sorry, but I need to comment on this.

I just noticed this today.

Does this not give you a hint that this guy has no intention of bringing back Maplecorft.

I still have to ask:

What sort of person does this?

Below are three photos.

One is of Maplecorft and the way it looked when Lizzie was alive.
The other one is a close-up of the railing I built for my back porch.
The third is a Aluminum railing put up by the current owner of Maplecorft.

He had to place a board over the cellar window to support the metal hand railing.

Simply nailed to the side of the house. Awful. Lizzie must be turning in her grave.

Total Labor for new Maplecroft railing =ten to fifteen minutes.

Total cost= around 25 dollars.

Cost for the entire package= Seven Hundred And Fifty Thousand Dollars.

Very sad.

[mbhenty]

Yes:

I don't know?

I guess it's because Maplecorft is one of the first things I see when I get up every morning.

Why would someone do this?

I don't know? It's just sad. Such a valued property.

Now, in the first photo below, you can see where he had to actually damage the skirt board to make the railing fit. If you look to the upper right hand corner of the window, behind the railing, you can see the fresh wood. He had to cut a chunk out of the skirt board just below the clapboard to make this silly railing fit. Bizarre, just down right bizarre.

[twinsrwe]

How very SAD!!!

Thanks for posting the above info and photos, MB.

[mbhenty]

Want to buy Lizzie Borden's old place, but you say you just don't have the 650,000 dollars.

Well<

Three blocks down on French Street, on the corner of June you will discover the Andrew Jennings house for sale. Lizzie Borden's attorney. It is as dull a place as Mapecroft is overpriced.

That is to say, it was a single family home at one time and since then was somewhat gutted and violated by the placement of 3 apartments.

The inside is plain, modern, and uninviting considering the importance of who lived there at one time.

The only attractive positive of the Andrew Jennings House is the exterior Victorian Trim. What did someone say about lipstick on a pig?

Sad commentary on what was once a period Victorian structure. None-the-less, 249,000 and it's yours.



http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhom ... source=web

[mbhenty]

Yes

Maplecorft still for sale??????

Who knows?

The sign has been long taken down.

Southeastern New England is going through a snow storm as I speak. Below is Maplecroft taken in the snow... taken just a couple of minutes ago. No Lizzie around though!

[mbhenty]

Yes:

Spring 2013

And here we go again

Maplecroft up for sale.........again.

[mbhenty]

Yes:

Both these houses are in Fall River, Ma and are for sale. Aside from there History, which do you think is a good value for your money? One is much bigger than the other and in much better condition, with impeccable landscaping. The smaller one, the one with the pointy, windowless roof tower and
TV dish on the porch roof, is asking around 700,000 The bigger house is asking 550,000. (Need to look up it's history, since I know nothing about it...shamefully)

The bigger house just went on the market recently. It sits on a most respected and majestic corner, being Highland Ave and President Ave, at the top of what is known to fall river natives as 7 Hills. It overlooks North Park, the Taunton River, and Somerset. Very impressive building.

Now, which do you think is a better value?

[mbhenty]

Yes:

Just a short follow up on the post above.

The Highland Street house belong to a Benjamin B. Read Jr. His father was listed in the 1896 directory as carpenter and living on Stafford Road. (Corner of Brayton Ave. There's a church there today)

Benjamin B. Read Jr. started out working at the Davol Mills and later became involved with Lincoln Manufacturing. (Started or Owner )

Later city directories show him as treasurer of the Lincoln Mfg. Co, Kilburn Lincoln Machine Co, and president of the Allen Slade & Co.

There was talk about Mr. Read and his family on the forum back in 2004.

http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/LBFor ... .php?t=398

[Stefani]

Maplecroft is getting a facelift.

http://lizzieandrewborden.com/MondoLizz ... ed-yellow/

Do you like the color?

[twinsrwe]

Wow, Stefani, thanks for updating us on what's happening at Maplecroft. IMO, the color is very pleasing to the eye; the house has been in need of a new paint job, far too long. I hope improvements continue to take place.

[Stefani]

Bill Pavao tells me the original Lizzie color was buff. So this is not that far off from that. I am curious as to what he paints the trim. Right now it is still the old peeling paint. I will keep you up to date.

[twinsrwe]

That's right, Maplecroft was a buff color in Lizzie's day; I had forgotten that! I hope the trim is an attractive color that goes well the yellow. Yes, please keep us updated - they are greatly appreciated. Thanks, Stefani.

[Stefani]

I think they have completed the painting. Here are today's images:

http://lizzieandrewborden.com/MondoLizz ... -complete/

[twinsrwe]

Wow, very nice! The color combination of light yellow and white trim makes the house look fresh and so much better. Of course, if I had chosen the color for the trim, it would have been dark brown or black; both of these colors would have complemented the light yellow and made the entire house stand out more.

I see Mr. Dube uncovered the top granite step with the name of Maplecroft craved in it, which he had covered with a blue board. Is he going to leave it uncovered now?

Thank you so much for posting this update on Maplecroft, Stefani. I really enjoy reading about what is happing at Maplecroft.

[Stefani]

A little comparison.