Exeter Inn

The Exeter Inn
The Exeter Inn
Alternative names	The Inn at Exeter
General information
Architectural style	Georgian
Address	90 Front Street, Exeter, New Hampshire, United States
Opened	1932
Owner	Phillips Exeter Academy
Landlord	Hay Creek Hotels
Technical details
Floor count	3
Other information
Number of rooms	43 guest rooms ; 3 suites
Website
	www.theexeterinn.com

The Exeter Inn is an inn located on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. It is owned by the academy and operated by leaseholder Hay Creek Hotels. The inn is an occasional stopover for candidates in the New Hampshire presidential primaries.

History

A previous Exeter Inn had been located on Water Street.^[1] One of the town's oldest buildings, it was demolished in 1959.^[2]

The current Georgian style complex was built in 1932, funded by a donation from the widow and daughter of mining engineer and PEA alumnus William Boyce Thompson.^[3] It mirrors the school's architectural motif.^[4] It sits on land purchased for the academy in 1890 from PEA alumnus William P. Chadwick by Edward F. Gale and that year's graduating class.^[5]

Over the years, the inn has hosted events for several New Hampshire presidential primary candidates.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the inn temporarily closed to visitors and was converted into additional housing for academy students.^[10]

In 1997, the academy transferred a 75-year lease to hotel operator Someplace(s) Different.^[3] Hay Creek Hotels acquired the lease in June 2007 and conducted a $5 million renovation, which upgraded the rooms, lobby, restaurant, and amenities.^[11]^[12]

References

^ "Slavery in New Hampshire". Boston Evening Transcript. December 22, 1894. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
^ Carol Walker Aten (2003). Postcards from Exeter. Portsmouth: Arcadia Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-7385-3481-7.
^ ^a ^b "Academy Chronology". Phillips Exeter Academy.
^ "Stepping into a new Epoch". New Hampshire Union Leader. July 9, 2008.
^ "Our History" (PDF). The Exeter Inn. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 23, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
^ "Eisenhower Campaigns for Nixon". The Spokesman-Review. February 18, 1968. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
^ Seligson, Tom (July 15, 1973). "Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
^ O'Shei, Tim (May 28, 2015). "George Pataki is ready to make his case for the presidency. Will New Hampshire listen?". Buffalo News. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
^ "Seen on Scene: Lincoln Chafee brings his presidential campaign to Seacoast". Portsmouth Herald. August 13, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
^ Schreiber, Jason (August 5, 2020). "Exeter Inn to become temporary dorm for Phillips Exeter Academy students". New Hampshire Union-Leader. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
^ Bricker, Lara (June 24, 2008). "Epoch Restaurant and Bar set to open at Exeter Inn". Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
^ Feals, Jennifer (July 17, 2007). "Exeter Inn changes hands". Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved January 24, 2025.