About the Kearsarge House
A Brief History of the Kearsarge House and Hotel – Portsmouth, NH
The Kearsarge House stands as a significant piece of downtown Portsmouth’s rich architectural and cultural tapestry. Built in 1866 by master builder Benjamin Franklin Webster as a two-family home, Colonel Joshua Winslow Peirce purchased the building and changed it to a hotel, naming it after the USS Kearsarge, a famous Civil War-era warship celebrated for its victory over the Confederate raider CSS Alabama. The choice of name reflected the patriotic pride of post-war New Hampshire.
Initially envisioned as a grand hotel, the Kearsarge House catered to Portsmouth’s bustling shipbuilding and merchant trade economy, welcoming travelers, naval officers, and visiting dignitaries. Its prime location near Market Square made it a central hub for social gatherings and community events, embodying the town’s prosperity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
On Christmas Eve 1876, the theater adjacent to the Kearsarge House, known as the Temple, caught fire, completely leveling the building. Knowing the importance of having a theater next door to their busy hotel, the Peirce Family purchased the property, and the historic Music Hall theater that still stands today was built, opening barely a year after the fire.
Throughout its years of operation and under the same ownership as The Music Hall until 1903, The Kearsarge Hotel saw major renovations and reconfigurations to reflect changes in the town’s infrastructure and tourism trends. As time passed, the building shifted away from the grandeur hotel services until, inevitably, it was left for the wrecking ball.
Local entrepreneur and emergency medical doctor Dr. Bill Stuart purchased the Kearsarge Building in 1976 and, after extensive renovations and repairs, opened a venue offering live blues music featuring national touring musicians such as Son Seals, Koko Taylor, and Luther Allison.
By the mid-20th century, the Kearsarge House transitioned into a mixed-use space, with shops, office spaces, and apartments occupying its walls. The Music Hall administrative offices leased space at the Kearsarge in the 1990s before moving across the street to the Loft, now known as The Lounge. Its legacy was further solidified when The Music Hall once again acquired the property in 2025, merging its storied past with Portsmouth’s thriving arts and culture scene.
This purchase solidified The Music Hall’s footprint expansion in the recently launched Members Club and Ticketing Hub, which opened in 2024 thanks to a generous donation made by Jessica Hulseman McKeon and Paul McKeon. The Members Club, located within the Kearsarge House, has quickly become a favorite space for members and sponsors to enjoy a speakeasy-style atmosphere with direct access to the Historic Theater. Owning the building ensures that the Members Club will remain a permanent fixture in The Music Hall’s portfolio of venues, elevating the patron experience for years to come.
To learn even more about the historic Kearsage House, watch Before the Music Hall: A Conversation with Dr. Bill Stuart, Proprietor of The Kearsarge House. Presented for the Portsmouth Public Library on July 2, 2024.