Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Just in time for Christmas! It's tough getting through to city hall but at last someone who knows what is going on got back to me about the demolition of the bus station right across the street where Bowen- Miller house used to stand.

Th entire ugly edifice is coming down-flattened and hauled away! Hurray! This is supposed to commence in 2 weeks, and is a project of the State of Massachusetts, not the City of Fall River. So- I have faith it will be done speedily. A temporary bus station will be located at the corner of Third and Borden in that vacant parking lot across from the parking garage. So no more roaring buses when you sleep in the Borden guestroom or high up in the house on the third floor. A state court house will be going up, and I have begged for a sketch of the building which I can scan. This is exciting stuff- now, if only the wrecking ball does not come on Christmas Eve or Open House day!

Finally that eye soar is coming down! . Maybe some of those shakey people won't be out in front of the house at night now.
Lets' see maybe they can build a replica Bowen house Doubtly

I stopped by the house today to say hi to Dee, but she was off and Colleen was in the barn w/ Lee-Ann, who was not feeling too well.
I had a little something for X-mas for you and Dee and Lee- Ann said to
leave them on the counter for you guys.

Oh I suspect some of those shakey people will still be hanging out on Second Street but now they will be leaving when court is closed at 4 p.m.! Happy thought. I just hope a decent design is going up-not another godawful government center.

Thanks Jeff- I am planning to stop by Friday for decorating.

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Yeah. I am afraid you may be right about the design. Still, the current "thing" in that location is a blight on the city and a beacon for undesirable types at all hours around the clock. I hate to go out to my car after dark, especially when I park across the street-thank goodness for the cabbies!

Courthouses often at least have a dignified facade- especially state courts. Give me a Grecian column!

Why, Thank You Shelley. That was a nice compliment. We Hackers, for the most part, are underappreciated. It would take me a while to learn to drive Cab in Fall River, with all the Traffic and one way Streets. Maybe someday.

We are waiting any day now for the wrecking ball. The temporary trailers are in place at the corner of Third and Borden which means the end is coming soon for the old bus station. I wonder if they will wait until after Christmas. Yes, I will miss our FR cabbies- many is the night I have spent out on the step chatting about the case with them, having them watch out for me as I go to my car. I'll post some photos of the demo!

10 foot galvinized chain link fence is wrapped all around the half-block area across the street from #92 Second St. and a mouse could not wiggle in. Herds of unhappy bus travellers were sitting forlornly on the curb on Borden Street today , in front of the temporary trailer serving as the bus station. So, it sure looks like the wrecking ball is on the way any minute. The whole project may take up to two years to complete.

Hurray! Sounds like you all are excited about this. Hope they put something nice in its' place.

Snok, they will be putting the new court house where the bus station used to be. Check out the first post in this thread for a description.





Tracy...

I hope in the digging they don't vibrate something loose in the House!
Have the authorities tested for noise levels or for vibation and how well an old house would stand up to that?

Well, the wrecking ball on Leary Press didn't faze it, so I think we're good to go.

We have been talking about how the high building may cast a shadow across the front of the house in the late afternoon with the sun setting behind it though. This summer is going to be no fun with the dust and noise. Check in is at 4 so hopefully the workmen will be gone by then. Poor old Mr. Miller will spin in his grave to see what is going up on the site of his old home

I'm picturing them blasting out or digging a basement. They will have a basement won't they? I don't know because we don't have those in Florida.

This is a huge project right? Around here they test noise levels and then put up special noise barriers.
You never know what noise can do- maybe it will shake loose that elusive hatchet?

I think Miller had been an alderman- he'd probably approve of the new use of his space- more so than a bus station, yes?

The Judith Boss book says that the alderman's meeting chambers in the old City Hall's paneling is now at White's Restaurant.

Not much visible progress on the outside of the old bus station. A bucket loader stands forlornly and some corrugated tin strips dangle from the side, swaying in the wind. All the action seems to be inside, where asbestos removal is underway with men in space suits and respirators peeling off the old tiles. Not a wrecking ball in sight. The temporary bus station trailer at Third and Borden is hosting a windblown selection of travellers, looking harried and tragic clinging to the sidewalk outside bundled in layers like onions.

Thanks for the updates Shell!

It's been fine weather here until today- when it poured and will get cold- like 50.

It's been about 75 last week- in the low 80's the previous week.

The azalias are blooming about 3 weeks early

Kat @ Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:30 am wrote:I'm picturing them blasting out or digging a basement. They will have a basement won't they? I don't know because we don't have those in Florida.

This is a huge project right? Around here they test noise levels and then put up special noise barriers.
You never know what noise can do- maybe it will shake loose that elusive hatchet?

You can't have a basement in FLA or New Orleans because of the high water table. You don't need a basement where the temperature does not stay well below freezing.

Do you know why the St. Johns River flows North, Ray?

Does anyone know where the new bus terminal in Fall River is or is going to be?

No, but I know why the St. John's River is one of the very few rivers that flow North!

It's because South Florida is higher than North Florida!

I keep hearing "on the outskirts of town" from all and sundry. I took some photos early this morning of the mess across the street. We had one of the most frigid nights I can ever recall last night. The first floor was cool, but the second and third floors were toasty warm. It was a misery to be outside about 5 p.m.- and today was lovely, sunny but not as frigid.

Will post pix tomorrow.

The lone bucket loader in the freezing dawn, shot taken through the chain link surrounding the bus stop.

View of the progress taken from the top side step of #92. Still undergoing mostly asbestos removal at the bus station.

Shelley, you're a treasure! Thanks for the great photos and update on the court house.

A treasure?! Well, now that is better than a Valentine! While I was away you went and had a birthday, Harry- - here is a happy belated wish while I have you here with the Slowski Turtle in a party hat just getting around to celebrating it in style! Hope it twas grand!

I think whoever said that the light streaming in your newly exposed sitting room windows would be obscured by this new building was right! Eek!

Thanks for the pictures!

OH, I think the south side will be okay- it is the parlor and maybe a little of the diningroom which will catch the shade when the sun goes behind the new courthouse, and of course the second and third floors in the front of the house. The courthouse will be so much taller than the house. I am thinking the guest room will see a difference- not to mention the view over to Main Street will be blocked.

The ghastly bus station is gone and you can see all the way to the Cherry and Webb building on Main Street- hurray! A photo coming soon.

Oh good, PICTURES, my favorite!!!!

How did the ghost hunters university at the house this weekend go? Sure wish the house had a webcam.

All went well with Ghosthunters U. Funny you should mention it Bobbie, I was thinking we need a 24 hour "webcam" in the guestroom upstairs. I don't know if the guests would like it though!

I was thinking that the couch might be a good spot for a webcam. I bet the ole couch is quite the happening place.

So true, we could hide the cam in the bookcase. I recall one webcast of pigeons on a ledge in Manhattan which became a huge hit. Of course, we would all have to take shifts watching the sofa.

Ok I am good for an 8 to 5 shift with breaks at 10 and 3. I remember one of the first webcams was on a coffeepot for some college university, so they could see if there was any coffee before they went to the cafeteria.

Two steam shovels, yellow necks flexed like prehistoric dinosaurs in the morning sun pause to rest after a rampage on the old bus station.

An uncluttered view looking North up Second Street while lounging on the fence post. Is that old Ellen coming up the street?

Through the chainlink fence, Cherry and Webb department store building in the background, on Main St. (white).

Great photos, Shelley. Thanks for posting them.

The one with "Ellen" coming up 2nd Street also shows the City Hall building. Since the new one was built on the same site as the old, it shows just how near City Hall was to the house. And photos tend to make things look further away not closer.

Yes, it's easy to see how Bridget could clearly hear the City Hall clock in the tower strike 11 that Thursday morning. Sometimes now when the Saturday night Mass or Sunday morning bells of St. Mary's across the street chime, and I am in Bridget's room- I think of her lying on that bed, -the bells being like a harbinger of the disastrous news, sounding the alarm which would break in just a moment more.

The Miracle has come to a standstill. This photo is taken from the third floor of the house and the lot across the street is still one big, flat gravel pit.

A site never seen- the house on Second Street (with a red portapotty in front) taken from South Main Street across from Cherry and Webb Building. The chainlink fence got in the way, but what an odd sight to be able to look right across from Main Street at the house.

That's a cool and unusual shot! Thanks!

Some updated renderings of the new courthouse:

New Courthouse

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7 a.m. this morning-Maybe this should be called No Miracle on Second Street. Nothing has happened all summer and the gravel pit is static behind the chain link. Elderly residents of Borden Place East, the senior housing next door to the Borden House are now complaining loudly about all the noise, loitering and disruption at the corner of Third Street where the bus station was relocated. To add insult to injury, work is in full swing with orange cones and drills on Third Street, underneath city hall and near the back of the post office which makes it a real big mess and traffic nightmare at rush hour.

Shelley,

I just heard on the radio a couple of days ago that ground breaking for the new trial court that was supposed to be in late summer is scheduled for October 22.

Today's paper explains some of the problems with the construction around Government Center . Seems like the work is back on track now.

Delayed project pushed on

The seniors next door have every right to be annoyed with the noise level coming from the bus station. The PA system is way too loud for passengers who are standing or seated just a few feet in front of the building. I wouldn't want to be subjected to that noise from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day!

Thanks for the update- oh the B&B put up with that loud bus stop PA for 9 years! People in the Morse guest room and the third floor bedrooms in front got blasted out of their beds at dawn's crack. I can never figure why the volume is so loud, everyone is waiting in a little cluster right under the speaker. It's hardly Grand Central Station.

I guess the McGinns also must have suffered from the non-stop blaring for some of the time they lived at #92. The roaring of the buses taking off from the curb and vibrations often caused the doors in the house to pop open, thus starting some of those "haunted" rumors about some of the rooms.

The constuction should be starting soon now. I took a walk by last week
and saw a couple of men taling measurements around the perimeter.
I would say withinh the next 2 weeks it will begin

I just saw this posted today about the new court house on the Herald News web site.

http://www.heraldnews.com/homepage/x1302706586

There were bulldozers Friday morning putzing about in the drizzle on the site. Maybe there will be something to photograph on Thursday. Personally, I do not find the architecture of the new courthouse at all sympathetic to the surroundings-and a real clash with the grand old Academy building. It would not have been hard to have designed something more in tune with the neighborhood.

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Great shots. The big yellow dozers look like some kind of Transformer monsters crouching in front of #92! Andrew B. would flip out!