The Sullivan-Sleeper House: Inn by the Bandstand

Built in 1809, the Sullivan-Sleeper House stands on Front Street overlooking Exeter’s town center. Now known as the Inn by the Bandstand, it began as the family home of George Sullivan, a lawyer and statesman. Its three-story Federal-style form belongs to a group of neighboring houses that preserve the scale and character of early nineteenth-century Exeter.

The house’s appearance evolved with successive owners. Its decorative Victorian entrance porch was added before 1885, introducing elaborate brackets and a balcony to the earlier façade. These additions illustrate how families adapted older homes to changing tastes while retaining their substantial original structures.

Otis Sleeper purchased the property in 1889. His jewelry business brought a commercial presence to the residence, and Sleeper and his son, Almon, operated their shop for decades. The combination of a family house and an attached storefront connected the property directly with the daily business of downtown Exeter.

By 1970, the house faced demolition. Mobil Oil, which owned the neighboring lot, planned to acquire the property and remove the building. The Exeter Historical Society intervened, securing the opportunity to purchase it. Restoration followed, and the house was converted into apartments and resold with preservation restrictions. Its threatened destruction helped prompt voters to establish Exeter’s historic district that same year.

Its later use as the Inn by the Bandstand continued the building’s long history of adaptation. The house survives because residents acted when its future was uncertain. Along Front Street, it preserves both an early Exeter residence and a tangible reminder of the local preservation effort that helped protect the surrounding town center.