The Music House: Franklin County’s Music Studio

On a quiet section of Church Street in Louisburg, North Carolina, sits a house that has lived a dozen lives. From Methodist parsonage in the days of circuit riders to a crumbling relic nearly lost to time, the Music House now hums with the sound of piano keys, young voices, and the strum of guitars. Step inside, and it’s clear: this old house isn’t just restored, but it’s reborn as the county’s only communal music studio, a place where history and harmony intertwine.

The Music House is not just one home, but two early structures joined together. More than a century ago, it was moved from its perch on Sunset Avenue to Church Street, where it took on new purpose. Beneath the late-19th-century Victorian bead board lies Georgian flat-panel wainscot, a reminder of the building’s deep roots. Handmade hinges, hand-planed board ceilings, and ghost marks from long-gone fireplaces whisper of generations past.

Bill Lord and Sue Guerrant saw the house’s potential nearly 25 years ago and undertook a painstaking restoration: new foundation, rebuilt porch, fresh roof, and an added kitchen and bath. “You could see straight through the foundation when we first moved here,” recalls Paula Walters, who, along with her husband Johnny, has carried on the Music House’s tradition. “Every time I drove by, I thought the next hurricane would take it away.”

Since 2003, the Music House has been more than a landmark. It’s currently the county’s only dedicated music studio. Paula first began teaching here while still commuting to Raleigh. By 2009, she and Johnny took ownership, determined not to let the doors close.

“We’re the only ones,” Paula says. “There are private teachers in their homes, sure, but as far as a communal studio with multiple teachers and instruments, this is it.”

Today, five teachers fill the rooms with lessons in piano, voice, guitar, bass, flute, trombone, and even banjo or mandolin when instructors are available. Students range from five years old to their seventies and beyond. Some come for pure enjoyment, others to prepare for auditions, and a few carry their training into professional careers—from UNC Greensboro’s School of Music to the Broadway stage.

Walk through the Music House on a weekday afternoon and you’ll see a tapestry of Franklin County reflected in its students. A kindergartner balancing her first piano lesson sits just down the hall from a high school senior polishing a Broadway audition piece. In one room, a retired man learns to strum the chords to his favorite country songs, fulfilling a dream set aside decades ago. Students’ successes line the walls in framed photos: graduates who went on to major in music, performers who joined ensembles, even local kids who made it all the way to the touring stage. “We’ve had students as young as five and as old as eighty,” Paula says. “It’s never too late to learn. Every age brings something special.”

Paula Walters shows the condition of the original building.

The Music House has seen its share of remarkable moments. Touring Broadway performers from The Lion King once slipped in for private lessons after performing at the JPAC. Local students have gone on to join handbell ensembles, study at the School of the Arts, and even major in music at universities across the state.

Every fall and spring, families gather for recitals, where students step onto the stage (sometimes for the first time) to play a simple melody or sing a carefully prepared song. In the summers, the space transforms into a rehearsal hall for rock band camps, culminating in Friday-night shows at nearby venues. “It’s nice to see the kids’ progress,” Paula reflects. “From five-year-olds to adults—it’s the whole gamut.” Beyond lessons, the Music House also serves as home base for the Victorian Carolers, a professional ensemble founded nearly two decades ago. Dressed in Dickensian finery, they’ve performed everywhere from RDU Airport to the Governor’s Mansion, from Walt Disney World to the White House. Each holiday season, their voices, polished here on Church Street, carry Franklin County’s spirit of song far beyond its borders.

What makes the Music House remarkable isn’t only the music, but the way history and art converge under its roof. It’s a reminder of the power to transform something lost into a place of celebration and joy, a place “where music lives.”.

The Music House offers lessons for all residents of Franklin County (and beyond). For more information, visit their website and follow them on Facebook.