Located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, this historic building once served as storage for the city’s oldest mercantile, Peavey’s Hardware. Long unused and largely raw, the space still housed its original freight lift—used for centuries to move goods between floors—when we began the transformation.
Haven Hill Builders designed an entirely new floor plan, carefully working around massive structural beams adorned with historic graffiti dating back as far as 1823. In a gesture of preservation and respect, the original freight lift was dismantled and re-suspended above the new stairwell, paying homage to the building’s industrial past.
Spanning 3,800 square feet, with an additional 800-square-foot rooftop deck, the resulting home is both expansive and deeply rooted in its history. All original flooring was preserved and refinished, and bricks salvaged from the interior were repurposed to construct the custom pizza oven featured in the kitchen.
The project has been featured in NH Home Magazine and was recognized as a winner of the Portsmouth Kitchen Tour, celebrating its seamless blend of historic preservation, modern living, and thoughtful craftsmanship.