Our Story

Welcome to the Hampshire House, a turn-of-the-century mansion on historic Beacon Hill, where generations of Bostonians and their guests have wined, dined, and danced the night away. 

Commissioned by the illustrious Bayard and Ruth Thayer, the Hampshire House offers sweeping views of the Boston Public Garden. This traditional Brahmin mansion was designed and completed construction in 1911 by architect Ogden Codman Jr., known for his designs on several Newport Mansions, including The Breakers and Land's End. 

This five-story Georgian revival townhouse was lavished with Italian marble, carved oak paneling, crystal chandeliers, and tall Palladian windows. Our windows not only looked out onto the Victorian elegance of the Boston Public Garden, but they also witnessed the secret social world of Boston’s elite. Mrs. Thayer’s residence at 84 Beacon Street quickly became the preeminent salon in the city – a place to see and be seen. Gentlemen in top hats and tails and ladies in silk and satin ascended the grand staircase to the heart of the house for gala evenings in the Ballroom and Library. 

The Thayer family’s children continued residence into the 1930s. By the late 40s, the owners of the Lincolnshire Hotel on Charles, introduced the building to the public as a small private luxury hotel. They dubbed the mansion the Hampshire House (Lincolnshire and Hampshire were both English counties). 

Thomas A. Kershaw became the owner of The Hampshire House in 1969. Throughout the years, he opened it to the public as a restaurant and eventually an exclusive event venue for numerous occassions. The interior decor captures the aura of those grand days when the Thayers entertained in their magnificent mansion in Beacon Hill.  Now you, too, can be a part of history at the Hampshire House.