Review: The Inn By the Bandstand
The charming and historic Inn by the Bandstand lies in the heart of downtown Exeter, just two blocks from campus. The sunshine yellow federal-style mansion, which dates back to 1809, houses eight unique and inviting guest rooms, a sitting room, dining room and outdoor terrace.
As you enter the Inn, fireplaces greet you in each drawing room, while a beautifully carpeted staircase—with its sprawling banister still intact from the original house—leads up three stories to guest wings. The inn is run by Jaime Lopez, owner, innkeeper, chef and occasional repairman, with his co-owner, Agostinho Nunes.
Nunes, a self-professed “history buff,” takes immense pride in the Inn’s robust history. In 1809, George Sullivan, a prominent attorney and son of Revolutionary War general John Sullivan, constructed the building. During an earlier renovation of the house, historians uncovered an original Dunlap copy of the Declaration of Independence on the property.
The house eventually changed ownership into the Sleeper family, which led to the construction of the adjoining Sleeper jewelry store, now the Otis restaurant. Nunes cites this change of ownership as the reason behind the property’s dual architectural styles; the original property is built entirely in the federal style, and the Sleeper-era renovations were done in a more elaborate victorian style.
“When we took over, they used to be all British names: Windsor, Summerset... We wanted to bring it back to the colonial period and connect it locally.”
Nunes, who is still in touch with descendants of the original owners, described the 19th Century tenants as “eclectic.” “They would get drunk and rowdy, and they would shoot their guns into the fireplaces,” he said.
According to Nunes, in the 1950s, the town moved to demolish the house in order to expand the roundabout and make the entrance to the gas station—now known as Me and Ollies—more accessible. To prevent the loss of such a historically significant property, the Exeter Historical Society intervened and purchased the estate. Following the purchase, the estate was broken up into tenant housing before becoming an inn for the first time some 25 years ago.
When Nunes and Lopez acquired the property about four years ago, the property had fallen into a state of dilapidation. “It was over a year before we bought it, and the place had been really let go,” Nunes said. The original post-and-beam construction, left uncared for by previous innkeepers, was so rotted that construction crews told Nunes and Lopez they were lucky the property hadn’t collapsed. Since they acquired the property in June of 2014, the inn has remained in business throughout an extensive renovation and restoration process that continues today.
Neither Nunes nor Lopez have any prior background in the inn business, though Lopez earned a graduate degree in Hospitality Management from UNH. After immigrating to Boston from war-torn Portugal at nine years old, Nunes worked his first management job at a cheese store in Framingham, Massachusetts when he was seventeen. Nunes originally got his degree in Political Science at Sciences Po in Paris, France at age 23, never predicting that he would end up owning an inn in Exeter. However, both owners have extensive backgrounds in public service. Lopez served in the Navy for almost six years, while Nunes spent two years in Morocco. They speak Spanish, Portuguese and French in addition to English. As an immigrant, Nunes has great appreciation for those who serve America. “Immigrants don’t take America for granted. It has been a gift that this country has given us that we have been able to express ourselves with freedom,” he said. “I am a great believer that I think that every young woman and every young man should serve.”
Both owners make great efforts to retain the historical roots of the building. They remain in contact with the descendants of the original owners, meet with members of the Exeter Historical Society, and even hosted a reception for Exeter’s American Independence Museum when it received a letter from George Washington to John Sullivan. Formerly named after major European destinations, each guest room now bears the name of a famous person or place from Exeter’s colonial history. Nunes said, “When we took over, they used to be all British names: Windsor, Summerset... We wanted to bring it back to the colonial period and connect it locally.” Some of the room names include Exeter, Wheelwright and Phillips. Nunes pointed out his favorite guest room, Wentworth—named after one of Exeter’s earliest settlers—which includes a massive, exposed brick fireplace and a four-poster bed.
Proximity to the Academy has been a defining feature for the inn. Nunes estimates over half of the inn’s customers are parents or relatives of Exonians. One of the The Inn By The Bandstand’s most unique offerings is its home-away-from-home program for Phillips Exeter Academy students. Over the past four years, Nunes and Lopez have connected with many on a personal level. Whenever possible they welcome students to the inn to stay, share a meal or simply say hello.
Nunes is proud to say that he serves as an emergency contact for multiple international students whose parents aren’t always accessible. At the request of a student or parent, the innkeepers will share meals with students, drive them between locations or provide a quiet space for the students to do homework. As immigrants themselves, Nunes and Lopez both empathize with students who feel the cultural shock and homesickness that comes with living far away from family. The house itself has a long history as a family home, a reputation which Nunes and Lopez have worked hard to maintain. The Inn By the Bandstand welcomes each and every student from the Academy, offering a sanctuary for them to call home.