The Music Hall

The Music Hall is a historic performing-arts and cinema venue at 28 Chestnut Street in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Founded in 1878 after the city's earlier entertainment venue burned on Christmas Eve 1876, it has served as a theater, movie house, civic gathering place, and nonprofit cultural center. The organization describes the building as the oldest operating theater in New Hampshire and among the oldest continuously operating theaters in the United States. The main theater seats approximately 895 people, while the organization also operates a smaller Loft venue for more intimate events. The venue was created by a group of local residents connected with the prominent Peirce family. Their decision to rebuild reflected a belief that a community's identity was partly expressed through the quality of its public entertainment. The building opened on January 30, 1878, with a celebratory program followed by performances of the British farces Caste and John Wopps. During its early decades, The Music Hall presented opera, drama, dance, vaudeville, touring productions, Shakespeare, and community events. The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performed The Pirates of Penzance there soon after its American premiere, while performers associated with Shakespeare, Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, and major theatrical productions also appeared. The venue showed some of Portsmouth's earliest moving pictures in the late nineteenth century. The theater underwent a significant renovation in 1901 under Frank Jones, a politician, brewer, and railroad entrepreneur who owned the property. The work added or improved features including a proscenium arch and stage house, helping establish the building's historic architectural character. In the early twentieth century it hosted touring Broadway productions, civic events, school graduations, benefits, and local performances. As cinema became the dominant form of popular entertainment, the building was adapted for film exhibition but faced competition from newer movie theaters built specifically for that purpose. The venue experienced periods of reduced operation and closure between the world wars. In 1945, after an auction sale, it was renamed The Civic and operated primarily as a movie theater for almost four decades. Its programming included feature films, newsreels, and serials. During the 1960s it was leased to theater operator E. M. Loew and operated alongside The Colonial in Portsmouth's Market Square. By the early 1980s, the building was considered outdated and was sold to a holding company, leading to another period of uncertainty. Local residents organized as The Friends of The Music Hall to preserve and reactivate the property. Their efforts helped return the venue to nonprofit operation and restored the historic Music Hall identity. A major preservation phase began after the theater was designated an American Treasure in 2003 through a program associated with the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Federal grant support and private fundraising financed restoration work intended to recover the building's early-twentieth-century appearance. The project included repairs to the proscenium arch, auditorium ceiling, and stairs. Decorative Roman figures and other elaborate designs were discovered beneath layers of paint on the water-damaged ceiling. The restored auditorium was publicly revealed in September 2007. Today, The Music Hall combines live entertainment, independent and mainstream cinema, literary programming, education, festivals, and public discussion. Its programs include intimate concerts, comedy, author conversations, children's performances, Broadway-related productions, film series, and broadcasts from major international cultural institutions. The venue also partners with New Hampshire Public Radio for Writers on a New England Stage and with the Ogunquit Playhouse for theatrical presentations. The organization serves both local residents and visitors to the Seacoast, drawing approximately 130,000 visitors annually according to the referenced encyclopedia material. Its current identity rests on the combination of historic preservation, independent cultural programming, and community access.

The Music Hall was established in Portsmouth in 1878 after a previous entertainment venue was destroyed by fire on Christmas Eve 1876. A group of local residents, including members of the Peirce family and people from several civic professions, organized the rebuilding effort. The site had previously served as a Baptist meetinghouse and had earlier civic and institutional uses. The founders regarded a substantial public venue as an important part of community life. The new theater opened on January 30, 1878. Its first program included an opening celebration and performances of the British farces Caste and John Wopps, brought to Portsmouth from Boston. The Music Hall soon became a major regional venue for opera, drama, dance, vaudeville, Shakespeare, touring spectacles, and local benefits. The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performed The Pirates of Penzance there shortly after its American debut. Other notable early attractions included internationally known Shakespearean actors, Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, and some of Portsmouth's earliest moving-picture presentations. In 1901, Frank Jones, who combined political, brewing, and railroad interests, became the theater's owner and directed a major renovation. The building acquired important stage and auditorium features, including a proscenium arch and stage house. Through the early twentieth century it continued to present touring productions, Broadway shows, community events, school ceremonies, and fundraising performances. Productions associated with Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and No, No, Nanette were among the Broadway-related attractions cited in the venue's history. The rise of purpose-built movie theaters changed the building's commercial position. Although The Music Hall was adapted for motion pictures, newer cinemas opened in Portsmouth during the 1910s and competed more effectively for film audiences. Between the world wars, the venue remained important for community activities but experienced periods of partial closure and fewer traveling stage productions. A 1945 auction sale led to a change of name: the building became The Civic. For nearly forty years it functioned principally as a movie house, screening feature films, newsreels, and serials. During the 1960s it was leased to E. M. Loew and operated in relation to The Colonial theater in Market Square. In the early 1980s, after a sale to a holding company, the building was regarded as obsolete and again faced closure and auction. The preservation movement that revived the venue was led by local residents organized as The Friends of The Music Hall. Their work helped convert the building into a nonprofit performing-arts center and restore the original Music Hall identity. In 2003, the property received American Treasure recognition under a preservation program involving the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A federal grant of $395,000 supported a multistage restoration program, while additional private fundraising expanded the available resources. The first phase addressed the proscenium arch, auditorium ceiling, and stairs. Investigators found detailed decorative imagery, including Roman figures, beneath several layers of paint on the ceiling. The restored auditorium was revealed on September 8, 2007. In its modern form, The Music Hall operates as an independent nonprofit cultural institution. It presents concerts, comedy, theater, cinema, author events, educational programs, public forums, festivals, and cultural broadcasts. Its large historic auditorium is complemented by the Loft, a smaller space suited to discovery acts and intimate conversations. Programs such as Intimately Yours, Live at the Loft, Writers on a New England Stage, Hilarity, School Days, Innovation + Leadership, Extraordinary Cinema, and Telluride by the Sea extend the organization's work beyond conventional theater booking. Partnerships with New Hampshire Public Radio and the Ogunquit Playhouse further connect the venue to regional media, literature, and theater networks.

• 2007

  Restored auditorium reopens to the public

  [1]The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org

  The refurbished auditorium, including restored decorative elements, was unveiled on September 8.

• 2003

  American Treasure designation supports restoration

  [1]The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org

  The theater received American Treasure recognition and access to federal preservation support.

• 1945

  The building is renamed The Civic

  [1]The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org

  Following an auction sale, the theater adopted the name The Civic and entered a long period focused mainly on motion pictures.

• 1901

  Frank Jones renovates the theater

  [1]The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org

  Owner Frank Jones undertook a major renovation that established important elements of the theater's historic stage and auditorium design.

• 1898

  Early moving pictures are shown

  [1]The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org

  The venue hosted some of Portsmouth's first moving-picture presentations, cited in its history as involving Edison's Graphophone.

• 1878

  The Music Hall opens

  [1]The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org

  The rebuilt theater opened on January 30 with a dedication program and performances of Caste and John Wopps.

• 1876

  Fire destroys Portsmouth's previous entertainment venue

  [1]The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org

  A Christmas Eve fire destroyed the city's principal entertainment venue, prompting local residents associated with the Peirce family to organize a replacement.

A nonprofit historic cultural venue that combines a large restored theater, an intimate performance space, independent cinema, literary events, education, festivals, and civic programming for Portsmouth and the wider New England Seacoast.

• Theater and live events venue · 1878

  Historic Theater

  The approximately 895-seat main auditorium is the organization's principal historic space. It hosts concerts, theatrical productions, comedy, author appearances, public programs, film presentations, and special events. Its restored proscenium, ceiling, stairs, and decorative interior support the venue's identity as a heritage theater as well as a contemporary cultural facility.

• Intimate performance and screening venue

  The Loft

  The Loft is a smaller space used for intimate concerts, discovery acts, literary programs, discussions, and selected cinema events. It allows The Music Hall to present emerging performers and smaller-scale programs alongside bookings in the main auditorium.

• Film exhibition

  Cinema

  The Music Hall screens mainstream, independent, and foreign films in its two venues. Its cinema programming includes recurring Extraordinary Cinema presentations, one-night Wildcard films, and filmed or live cultural broadcasts from institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera and the National Theatre of London.

• Literary events

  Writers on a New England Stage

  Produced in partnership with New Hampshire Public Radio, this author-interview series brings bestselling and award-winning writers to the stage for conversations with a regional audience. Related Writers in the Loft events provide a more intimate version of the format.

• Film festival

  Telluride by the Sea

  Telluride by the Sea is a three-day festival presenting films fresh from the Telluride Film Festival. Its programming has included films such as Capote, Finding Neverland, and Bob Dylan: No Direction Home.

• 2018The Ogunquit Playhouse partnership

  New Hampshire Seacoast · Southern Maine · New England

  The Music Hall partnered with the Ogunquit Playhouse to bring Broadway-oriented musical theater to Portsmouth during the holiday season.

  Outcome. The partnership presented Elf The Musical in winter 2018.

  Source
• 2003American Treasure preservation initiative

  Portsmouth · New Hampshire · United States

  The Music Hall used its American Treasure designation and associated federal support to advance a multistage campaign for preserving and restoring the historic theater.

  Outcome. The initiative helped fund restoration work and supported the later public unveiling of the restored auditorium.

  Source

• 2003

  Launch of a major historic restoration programStrategy

  Background

  The nonprofit organization sought to preserve the historic theater and recover aspects of its early-twentieth-century appearance.

  Action taken

  The organization combined a $395,000 federal grant with private fundraising to repair the proscenium arch, auditorium ceiling, stairs, and related interior features.

  Aftermath

  Decorative elements were uncovered beneath layers of paint, and the restored auditorium was unveiled in September 2007.

  Federal restoration grant. 395000 (2003)

  Source

• 1945

  Conversion to The CivicStrategy

  Background

  After competition from purpose-built movie theaters and periods of partial closure, the building changed ownership through an auction.

  Action taken

  The property was renamed The Civic and operated primarily as a cinema.

  Aftermath

  The building remained a familiar Portsmouth movie venue for almost four decades before later closure pressure and preservation efforts.

  Source

• 1901

  Renovation under Frank JonesStrategy

  Background

  The theater's owner, Frank Jones, sought to modernize and strengthen the venue's role in Portsmouth's downtown entertainment district.

  Action taken

  The building was renovated with a proscenium arch, stage house, and related theater improvements.

  Aftermath

  The renovation helped define the architectural character later targeted by the historic restoration program.

  Source

1. 1The Music Hall (Portsmouth)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Music Hall official websitethemusichall.org