In the lobby of Peabody Place, a retirement community in Franklin, Susan Chisholm sat by the baby grand piano as if it were an old friend. She doesn’t play much anymore, but decades ago, this piano kept her company on a daily basis.

The piano, purchased by her father when she was 18, lived in her bedroom at her family’s house in Exeter, where Chisholm played it for hours each day until she lost track of time.

“We had a piano that wouldn’t keep the tune anymore. It drove my father crazy, so he bought this one from a piano tuner,” Chisholm said. “I was either happy or sad. It took a while to get used to it.”

Chisholm took piano lessons beginning at age seven and continued all throughout her time in school. She recalls how her father worked to instill in her a lifelong love of music.

“It means everything to me,” she said. “I was quite good once, but it’s gone now.”

Chisholm moved to Peabody Place back in 2013, at which time her brother-in-law helped her sell the house she grew up in. They gave her family’s piano to the Franklin Opera House, where it then resided for a decade.

“They have been very good to it,” Chisholm said.

Towards the end of the summer, Peabody Place decided to search for a piano to give residents the opportunity to connect with music. Franklin Opera House ultimately offered them a piano that, unbeknownst to anyone involved, was the same one Chisholm’s family once owned.

“I had no idea. It was serendipity, I guess. It just felt right,” Opera House Executive Director Dan Darling said.

The Opera House, slated for renovation, wanted the piano to be used rather than placed in storage. Peabody Place raised funds through residents, their families, and staff members to transport the piano from the Opera House to its lobby.

“I found out because it’s a Kawai. I couldn’t figure out how there would be another Kawai,” she said. “It was a parlor grand, and this is a parlor grand. How would they have another Kawai grand piano there?”

When the piano arrived at the end of October, Chisholm reunited with her beloved instrument. She was the first person to play the piano in its new home.

“We lifted the cover to the keyboard. She brought her music along. She asked me to find one of her favorite songs. She put her fingers on the keys and began to play. A smile crossed her face and it was just the most heartwarming thing. It was magical,” Peabody Place activities coordinator Karolyn McCauley said.

Chisholm says she loves how well the piano fits in Peabody Place’s lobby.

“Anybody can play it here,” she added with a smile.

Executive Director of Peabody Place Lynda Goldthwaite recalled how one afternoon this week, a resident ventured to the lobby to play the piano. A group of other residents and staff members gathered around her and started singing along.

“This is truly a community. This community, this group of people who live here, are so vibrant and continue to be interested in doing all the things they love and learning new things,” Goldthwaite said “The piano is going to add to that sort of community vibe. It brings people together.”

Chisholm, a former children’s librarian, takes comfort in having the piano close by. She said playing has grown difficult with age, but she still finds herself intentionally – and unintentionally – gravitating toward music.

“I have a cat in my room, and he has figured out how to turn on and off the radio. I keep a sweater over it to prevent him from doing that but sometimes I wind up listening to music all night long.”

McCauley underscored how the piano will bring joy to residents throughout the building.

“Studies continue to find that music is something people tend to remember throughout their life,” McCauley said. “It’s one of the last things people forget, if they ever forget it at all. Having an instrument like this available to us is something that’s really unifying for all people throughout the building, whether it’s Memory Care, Independent Living, Assisted Living, everybody can enjoy this.”

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com